ST LEGER IS PUSHED BACK TO TOMORROW

ALL racing in Britain today has been cancelled as an ‘ongoing mark of respect’ following the death of the Queen. However, the sport will return tomorrow with the Cazoo St Leger the centrepiece of a rescheduled card at Doncaster. The final Classic of the season will be part of a nine-race card which will feature a mix of the best races due to be run at the South Yorkshire track yesterday and today. Tomorrow’s programme will also include the meeting at Chepstow but the planned fixture at Musselburgh has been cancelled.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said: ‘Her Majesty’s affinity and bond with British racing was enduring and unique, and a number of our sport’s participants have a close relationship with her. ‘Out of respect and in sympathy with her family, the sport has continued the suspension of fixtures into Saturday.

‘The return of racing on Sunday will see the running of the St Leger, a race which the Queen won with her filly Dunfermline in 1977.

‘This will also provide an opportunity for the sport to pay its respects to Her Majesty, for the contribution which she has made to the sport to be marked.’ A two-minute silence will be held at Doncaster tomorrow and the track was yesterday working on what were described as ‘appropriate tributes’ to a late monarch. Doncaster was expecting a crowd of around 25,000 people and all ticket holders have had their admission rolled over, with the ticket office to be manned today. Mark Spincer, managing director of the company which runs Doncaster, said: ‘The early indications we have had is that people want to attend on Sunday. We will be paying tributes to the Queen to mark her close and valued link to horseracing.’

When racing restarts, flags will fly at half-mast and jockeys will wear black armbands. This will continue until Her Majesty’s funeral. Racing continues in Ireland where the two-day Irish Champions meeting begins today. ITV4 will show five races from Doncaster and five from the Curragh, where the Irish St Leger is run tomorrow.