YORK STAGES LADBROKES ST. LEGER FESTIVAL ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

York is set to host the world's oldest Classic race and the final Classic of the 2006 British season – The Ladbrokes St. Leger Stakes – on Saturday (September 9), the second leg of the two-day Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival which has a temporary home on the Knavesmire this year while it's usual venue, Doncaster, is undergoing a major redevelopment.

Two days of top-class racing on Friday and Saturday feature all the best-known and prestigious races transferred from Doncaster, as the 230th running of the St. Leger stays in the county of Yorkshire.

Friday is 'St Leger Ladies Day', with a seven-race programme starting at 1-35 p.m. With a quartet of Group 2 races, it's quality all the way:

• The Ladbrokes Mallard Stakes This famous Handicap contest over the St. Leger distance of a mile and three-quarters should attract a good turnout and is sure to be a very competitive start to the Festival. The Mallard in the race title refers to the locomotive built at the railway workshops in Doncaster and which established a world speed record for a steam locomotive in July 1938 and provides a further link to York as it is now part of the collection at the National. Railway Museum in the city.
• The Persimmon Homes Flying Childers Stakes A Group 2 race for leading two-year-old sprinters, supported by York-based Persimmon Homes, the U.K's leading housebuilders.
• The Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Park Hill Stakes This Group 2 race for fillies and mares is affectionately known as 'The Fillies' St. Leger'. This contest over the St Leger trip was won last year by the French-trained mare, Sweet Stream and is supported by reguslr sponsors at York, Irish Thoroughbred Marketing.

• The GNER Doncaster Cup A target for the best stayers in the business, this Group 2 race is contested over two and a quarter miles. Its many illustrious winners include Double Trigger, trained at Middleham in North Yorkshire by Mark Johnston to win this famous race three times in the 1990's. Last year's winner was Millenary, a former St. Leger hero and winner of the 2005 Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup at York. The contenders will use a new start for York in front of the stands before completing a circuit that includes the bend created for Royal Ascot at York.
• The European Breeders Fund Fillies' Nursery Stakes A handicap race for two-year-old fillies, one of the flagship races in the UK supported by The European Breeders Fund
• The A1 Medical and General Scarbrough Stakes A Listed race for sprinters over the minimum distance of five furlongs.sponsored for the first time by A1 Medical.and General, the recruitment specialists
• The Sceptre Stakes Fillies and mares take part in this Listed race over seven furlongs. The Sceptre in the race title refers to the brilliant filly who won four Classic races in 1902 including The St. Leger.

Ladbrokes St. Leger Day on Saturday is an afternoon to savour…..

• The Ladbrokes Portland Heritage Handicap Another competitive handicap, this time for sprinters over the extended five furlongs, has been a feature race at the St. Leger Festival since 1855 and York has created a new start for this contest.

• The Sportsman Newspaper Champagne Stakes Precocious two-year-old colts and geldings – possible stars in the making - compete in this Group 2 race which was first held at Doncaster in 1823 and is supported by the daily sports and racing title..

• The GNER Park Stakes Contested over seven furlongs, this Group 2 contest could include this season's 1,000 Guineas winner, Speciosa.

• The Ladbrokes St. Leger Stakes This Group 1 race for top-class three-year-olds – the oldest Classic race in the world – was first held at Doncaster in 1776. It is sponsored for the second time by leading bookmakers, Ladbrokes, and now offers record prize money of £475,000. Sixties Icon is the ante-post favourite for this year's renewal, while Youmzain, successful in that most informative of St. Leger trials, The Ladbrokes Great Voltigeur Stakes last month at York, is set to take his place, along with the runner-up, Red Rocks. The winning jockey will receive the famous embroidered cap presented to every successful rider in the St. Leger. For the Owner the prize is a Silver Plate crafted in Sheffield and engraved in York providing another link between the north and south of the county.

• The Grahame Stowe Bateson Family Law Unit Strensall Stakes This Group 3 race over nine furlongs is a feature of York's regular programme and has acquired a new sponsor in Grahame Stowe Bateson Family Law Unit.

• The Keepmoat May Hill Stakes Two-year-old fillies with big race aspirations take part in this Group 2 contest over one mile, won in recent times by the likes of Reams Of Verse and Summitville. South Yorkshire based specialists in urban regeneration, Keepmoat, are welcome first time sponsors at the festival.
• The Symphony Group Chamossaire Stakes The Festival concludes with a competitive handicap contest over the extended mile and a quarter, which remembers the winner of the last St Leger at York in 1945 and is supported by the Leeds firm of Kitchen and bathroom experts. The locally owned star took the big race from a horse owned by His majesty the King in a contest said to have been watched by 150,000 race goers.
There will be a competition to find the 'Marriott Hotel Best-Dressed Lady Racegoer' on Friday, with the prize for the winner being a fantastic three day trip for two to the Courtyard by Marriott in Dubai.
Friday's 'Best-Dressed Lady' will also be invited to take part in Saturday's inaugural Grand Final to find the 'Best-Dressed Lady Racegoer in Yorkshire'. The participants in this contest are the winners of the 'Best-Dressed Lady' competitions on the individual racecourses this summer.

The winning jockey in the feature races will 'weigh in' on the special scales in the winners' enclosure, as part of York's on-going initiative to demonstrate the workings of the sport to the public.

Five large screens will assist racegoers in following all of the action, including coverage of the two Group One races from Ireland on Saturday. While the 'Punters Panel' – part of the totesport Partnership Initiative with the racecourse – takes place prior to racing on both days from the winners' podium.

The major raceday Traffic Plan, will again be in operation. Vehicles should approach the racecourse from the A64 and follow the signs.

Another significant chapter in York's long and illustrious history is about to be written.