Britain’s equestrian authority announced the September 10 race in the United Kingdom will be canceled as a homage following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, with key races including Cazoo St. Leger Stakes (G1), set to be included in a revised September 11 program.
The new nine-race card at Doncaster will also include the Wainwright Flying Childers Stakes (G2) and the Doncaster Cup from Friday’s canceled card, while Champagne Stakes (G2) and Park Stakes (G2) will also be run on Sunday. ITV4 will broadcast five races.
St. The Leger is the oldest of the five British racing classics and Dunfermline’s victory in the 1977 race is considered one of the Queen’s most memorable.
Six meetings that had been set to take place on Saturday, including in Chester, which was set to be shown on terrestrial television, Ffos Las, Lingfield, Chelmsford and Musselburgh, were cancelled.
Sunday’s fixture at Musselburgh will not be played out as a tribute to the Queen’s body resting in Edinburgh. Chepstow’s Sunday meeting will take place.
A press release from the BHA said decisions will be made “in due time” regarding how other key dates on the race schedule could be affected during the mourning period, particularly during the mourning period. especially because of the Queen’s “special relationship” with racing.
King Charles III has announced a period of royal mourning will be observed from 9 September until seven days after the Queen’s funeral, yet no date has been confirmed. He will speak to the nation at 6pm local time in the UK.
Julie Harrington, chief executive of Britain’s Equestrian Authority, said: “The Queen’s relationship and strong ties to British motorsport are long and unique, and a number of people participate in the sport. Our sport has a close, direct relationship with her, out of respect for this, and sympathizes with her family, including King Charles III, that the sport has made the decision to continue suspending our matches on Saturday.
“The race back on Sunday will see the run of St. Leger, one of the five classic British races and the one the Queen won with her dirty Dunfermline in 1977. This will also provide an opportunity for the sport and its supporters to pay tribute to the Queen, for the contributions she has made to marked sport, and to racing. to express our deep gratitude to her and sympathize with her family.”
Flags will fly at half-mast, riders will wear black armbands and a period of silence will be held before the race.
Initial claims made from Friday and Saturday cards will go into effect, but jockey bookings for delivered races have reopened until 2:00pm
Other major sporting events do not take place on Friday, including a test cricket match between England and South Africa and the PGA Championship at Wentworth, while the Premier League postponed all matches this weekend.
According to reports, in a meeting on Friday morning, the government said it was up to sport to decide whether weekend events could take place.
King’s Lynn , the Queen’s only horse entered over the weekend, had not been declared on Friday morning. He was credited with a 20-1 shot for the Flying Five Stakes (G1) during day two of the Irish Championship Weekend at Curragh on Sunday.
