The following notes may help readers to draw up short lists for the races in this year's last major Northern flat race meeting. The race order is as run in 2004 and after each race name/detail a figure in brackets represents the favourites win percentage record in the race. Web site visitors will also find jockey and trainer statistics for the meeting. References to draw assumes Low/Middle/High split into three equal parts based on size of field.

WEDNESDAY

6.5 Furl Fillies Nursery for 2yo (35%); Run over this trip since 1998 only. All winners had a 1st/2nd placing on last two runs. Last three races show a marked advantage to those drawn high with a stall 18 or higher seen.

6 Furl ST LEGER YEARLING STKS for 2yo (28%); Race commenced 1998 and in one of seasons most valuable 2yo races now. All past winners seem to be trained with this race in mind and none had raced more than 4 times previously. All had a 1st/2nd place on last two outings and last ran 15-44 days earlier. Trend in last 4 years sees mid-high drawn horses having an advantage although if form horse drawn low don’t let this put you off as advantage in non handicap races has lesser effect usually. H Candy is leading trainer with 2 wins.

5.5 Furl PORTLAND HANDICAP (40%); Halmahera (trainer K Ryan) has won this race for last three years and if attempting a 4th win will do so at age of 10 years which would be the oldest winner of the race for over 20 years at least! Draw trends show a mid-high draw featuring for the last 7 years in line with pattern on other sprint handicaps at this meeting. Preferred age group is 4yo with 5/10 wins.

GRP 3 PARK HILL STKS over 1M 6F (30%); Race dominated by Southern trained horses. 3yo have best record with 6/10 wins. Last nine winners raced within last 39 days finishing 5th or better.
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7 Furl Stakes for 2yo (35%); Last nine winners had raced no more than twice before including just one unraced horse. All were trained in the South and were generally well backed at odds of 9/2 or shorter (just two exceptions at higher SP’s).

1 Mile Maiden for 2yo (37%); New race in 1998. Past winners suggest that horses held back for longer distance juvenile races have best record with 5/7 winners racing only once before with one unraced and one having raced twice. B Hills is leading trainer with 2 wins and (with exception of unraced horse) all last raced between 22-61 days earlier.

1m 2F Stakes for 3yo (18%); New race in 1997. B Hills again leading trainer on 2 wins albeit latest was in 1999. All last raced 11-61 days earlier finishing 6th or better. A mid-high draw has prevailed in all races since 1997.

THURSDAY

GRP 3 MAY HILL STKS over 1 Mile for 2yo fillies (40%); H Cecil remains leading trainer on 4 wins albeit latest was in 2001. 8 winners won last race and other 2 were 2nd LTO. Most had run three times or less.

GRP 2 PARK STKS over 7 Furl (n/a); Race distance changed in 2003. Both winners in current format last ran 40-54 days earlier and finished 3rd or better on last outing with both having SP’s of 5-1. Both were also drawn high in the stall one off the rails.

GRP 3 DONCASTER CUP over 2M 2F (25%); M Johnston remains leading trainer on 3 wins, all achieved with Double Trigger between 1995 & 1998. A more interesting trend may be that the last three winners all last raced at York in the Lonsdale Cup over 2 Miles finishing 4th or better and often reversing York form over the slightly longer trip at Doncaster.

LISTED SCEPTRE STAKES over 7 Furl (10%); B Hills is leading trainer with 3 wins - all of which were aged 3yo. Indeed 3yo have the best record in this event with 6/10 wins.

1 Mile Nursery H’cap for 2yo (30%); T Easterby & G Lewis are leading trainers with 2 wins each. Last 9 winners all finished 3rd or better on last outing with all but one racing between 10-18 days earlier.

LISTED SCARBOROUGH STKS over 5 Furl (10%); T Easterby & Mrs J Ramsden are leading trainers having 2 wins each. Last 8 winners last raced within 24 days with all but two finishing 6th or better LTO.

7 Furl H’cap (10%); 6/10 winners had SP’s of 14/1 or longer indicating what a trappy finale this usually is. In last 8 years all but one were drawn middle-high. A recent run (within 7-26 days) is also a common factor

FRIDAY

St Leger Yearlings Stakes over 6 Furl for 2yo (33%); Race commenced 1999 as a reserve race for horses balloted out of main 2yo race on Wednesday. Horses with good form LTO (1st/2nd) have a good record as do horses with mid-high draws.

1M 6 H’cap (35%); I Balding & M Johnston are leading trainers with 2 wins each. All but one winner ran 4th or better LTO racing some 13-34 days earlier. 3yo fare well in this event having won 8/10 races.

1M 2F Conditions Stakes (15%); Even with an average field of only 6 runners the race has a poor favourites record. P Cole, H Cecil & S Bin Suroor are joint leading trainers with 2 winners each. All but one winner had been off the track for at least 41 days.

GRP 2 CHAMPAGNE STKS over 7 Furl for 2yo (50%); Both B Hills & D Loder have an excellent record in this event with 3 wins each. All but one winner finished 1st on last outing with highest SP of 6/1 seen.

LISTED TROY STKS over 1M 4F (44%); Run in current format since 1996. B Hills is again leading trainer with 3 wins in this event. SP’s generally 5/1 or shorter with all finishing 5th or better LTO.

1 Mile Stakes for 3yo (30%); S Bin Suroor & R Charlton are leading trainers with 2 wins each. Whilst favourites have a moderate record only most winners had SP’s of 15/2 or shorter.

5 Furl Handicap (10%); J WinWrite is leading trainer with 2 wins. Draw is an important factor here with 8 winners drawn high and two low so middle draw is best avoided.4yo is the preferred age group with 6/10 wins.

SATURDAY

6 Furl Stakes for 2yo (40%); Majority of winners had raced two times or less with only two maidens winning this event. B Hills is leading trainer on 2 wins.

1M 2f Handicap (20%); last 9 winners all finished 4th or better on last outing. In larger fields (18+) a mid-high draw seems to be an advantage. 3&4yo have won 9/10 races albeit 5yo won race in 2004.

1 Mile Handicap (20%); Calcutta (B Hills) has won the race 3 times and Muchea (M Channon) twice. As both now aged 9+ further wins from this pair looks unlikely though. All but one winner finished 5th or better LTO with all having SP’s of 10/1 or shorter. Last two winners drawn high in larger fields but overall if smaller fields of 11-12 runners the draw is of less importance.

GRP 1 ST LEGER STKS over 1M 6F for 3yo (65%); favourites have an excellent record in this final classic race of the season. Leading trainer is S Bin Suroor with 4 wins although surprisingly only one was partnered by L Dettori! All finished 5th or better LTO with the key prep race being the Great Voltigeur stakes at York some 25 days earlier. No less than 6/10 ran in this race with only 2 actually winning it - as the race is 2.5 furlongs longer this time it can be seen that the York form can be overturned against earlier rivals over the longer trip. Longest SP was 8/1 with mid-high drawn horses possibly having a slight advantage.

GRP 2 FLYING CHILDERS STKS over 5 Furl for 2yo (30%); All but one winner had finished 1st/2nd on either of last two outings. In last 6 years a mid-high drawn has been an advantage on most occasions.

1M 4F Handicap (15%); 3yo have a good record in this event with 6/10 wins. Few other consistent trends albeit last nine winners had managed a 1st/2nd place on last five outings.

7 Furl Nursery H’cap for 2yo (30%); A middle-high draw seen in 8/10 races. Horses carrying 9st or more have better record. Only one winner had not managed a 1st/2nd place in last three runs. Mrs J Ramsden is leading trainer on 2 wins.