Last year’s race produced a fourth win in the Classic for Ballydoyle (Ireland) trainer, Aidan O’Brien and a first for his son, Joseph, the rider of the 7/2 Favourite, Leading Light. The other St. Leger winners trained by Aidan O’Brien were Milan (2001), Brian Boru (2003) and Scorpion (2005).

 The Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival is the dominant meeting in the country this month. The action on the opening day, Wednesday, once again features a ‘Leger Legends Race’ supported by Leeds-based Clipper Logistics to raise funds for the north’s first residential and rehabilitation centre for injured and retired jockeys which is due to be in operation Malton in November, while the other beneficiary is The Northern Racing College at Rossington Hall near Doncaster. Former champions in the saddle will be dusting off their breeches once again for these worthy causes.

 The Thursday of the Festival (11th) is Ladies’ Day with quality racing complementing the latest fashions and a ‘Best-Dressed Lady’ competition held during the afternoon.

 Group and Listed races along with competitive handicaps and informative races for maidens make for a fascinating St. Leger Festival. Other highlights include The Scarbrough Stakes on the opening day (Wednesday – John Smith’s Day), The Park Hill Stakes, The Japan Racing Association Sceptre Stakes and The Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance £300,000 two-year-old Stakes (Thursday), The Socialites E-Cigs Doncaster Cup, The Polypipe Flying Childers Stakes and The Barrett Steel May Hill Stakes (Friday, 12th) along with The OLBG Park Stakes and The Champagne Stakes on Ladbrokes St. Leger Day – Saturday, 13th. The second running of The Flying Scotsman Stakes, a Listed race for two-year-olds and The Ladbrokes Mallard Stakes on the Friday draws attention to the pair of famous steam engines built at the railways workshops in Doncaster.

 It’s the annual ‘Ladies Day’ Thirsk  on Saturday, 6th, in association with Barkers of Northallerton and Harrogate-based milliner, Jenny Roberts, The action on the track features a couple of valuable handicap races, including the Hambleton Cup. There will be competitions to find the ‘Best-Dressed Lady’ and the wearer of the best hat. There’s also a ‘Best-Dressed Gentleman’ competition. The season at Thirsk concludes with a fixture on Tuesday, 16th. 

York’s only meeting this month is the annual Press Family Day on Sunday, 7th. There’s a host of attractions for families and young racegoers, including appearances by Peppa Pig. The main race on this Sunday programme on the Knavesmire is the third running of a Listed race, The Garrowby Stakes, a contest for sprinters over six furlongs. For the second time at this fixture, York will host the Finals of the nationwide Charles Owen Pony Racing Series, which is sure to include a few potential future jockeys. 

The season at Beverley finishes with a couple of meetings this month on Wednesday, 17th and Tuesday, 23rd, while Pontefract’s meetingon Thursday, 18th includes a valuable sprint Handicap contest for fillies and mares and the sixth round of The Pontefract Stayers’ Championship. The feature race at the West Yorkshire track the following Thursday (25th), The Dalby Screw-Driver Handicap Stakes honours a 19th Century oil painting by the celebrated artist, David Dalby of York, who specialised in depicting racing and hunting scenes. The 1826 painting, which belongs to the racecourse, shows ‘Screw-Driver’ – owned by Mr. Flintoff Leatham and ridden by Captain W. Healy of the 7th Hussars – winning the Badsworth Cup at Pontefract on March 29th 1824. This race is also run in memory of a former chairman of Pontefract racecourse, Simon Scrope.

 Catterick’s campaign on the Flat continues on Saturday, 20th, a day which includes the Final of The 2014 Catterick Twelve Furlong Series – a Handicap contest offering prize money of £20,000, while Yorkshire’s ‘Seaside Racecourse’, Redcar hosts a couple of meetings this month – Tuesday, 9th and Wednesday, 24th. 

The season at Ripon – Yorkshire’s ‘Garden Racecourse’ – concludes on Saturday, 27th, the principal race being a £30,000 contest for sprinters, The Ripon, Cathedral City of the Dales Handicap Stakes.