Racing pays its respects to the Queen at Doncaster

Two-minute silence observed and national anthem sung on Town Moor.

Racing came together to pay its respects to the Queen on a rescheduled St Leger day at Doncaster.

Following the Queen’s death on Thursday, Friday’s fixture on Town Moor was immediately cancelled and it was later confirmed Saturday’s racing would not take place.

The British Horseracing Authority announced on Friday that racing would resume on Sunday, with the exception of Musselburgh, and that the Cazoo St Leger – the world’s oldest Classic and won by the Queen’s homebred filly Dunfermline in 1977, her Silver Jubilee year – would form the centrepiece of a nine-race Doncaster card.

Ahead of the opening Champagne Stakes at 12.30pm, trainers, jockeys and valets gathered in the parade ring to observe a two-minute silence before all in attendance were invited to sing the national anthem.

Frankie Dettori said: “We’re going out there to race, but we’re not going to be jumping up and down. It’s still fresh in the memory.”

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