THE old saying that ‘winter rides in on the tail of the last horse in the St Leger’ could hardly be less appropriate in this strangest of years.

Far from ushering in the end of the season as in days gone by, the Leger fires the gun these days on a high-quality autumn calendar beginning with the Arc Trials day in France. Only in 2020, though, could the Leger be followed the next day by a Group 1 that usually takes place in July!