St. Leger Postponed to Sept. 11 After Queen's Death

The British Horseracing Authority announced Sept. 10 racing in Great Britain will be canceled as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, with key races, including the Cazoo St. Leger Stakes (G1), set to feature in a revised program Sept. 11.

The new nine-race card at Doncaster will also include the Wainwright Flying Childers Stakes (G2) and Doncaster Cup from Friday's canceled card, while the Champagne Stakes (G2) and Park Stakes (G2) will also be run on Sunday. ITV4 will broadcast five of the races.

The St. Leger is the oldest of the five classics in British racing and  Dunfermline's victory in the race in 1977 is considered one of the Queen's most memorable winners.

Six meetings were set to take place on Saturday, including at Chester, which was set to feature on terrestrial TV, Ffos Las, Lingfield, Chelmsford, and Musselburgh, which were canceled.

Sunday's fixture at Musselburgh will not go ahead as a show of respect with the Queen's body lying in rest in Edinburgh. Chepstow's Sunday meeting will take place.

A press release from the BHA stated decisions would be made in "due course" regarding how other key dates in racing calendar could be impacted during the mourning period, particularly due to the "special relationship" the Queen had with racing.

King Charles III declared a royal mourning period to be observed from Sept. 9 until seven days after the Queen's funeral, for which a date is yet to be confirmed. He was to address the nation at 6:00 p.m. local time in the United Kingdom.

Julie Harrington, chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, said: "Her Majesty the Queen's affinity and bond with British racing was enduring and unique, and a number of our sport's participants have a close, direct relationship with her. It is out of respect for this, and in sympathy with her family, including King Charles III, that the sport has taken the decision to continue our suspension of fixtures into Saturday.

"The return of racing on Sunday will see the running of the St. Leger, one of Britain's five classic races and a race which the Queen won with her filly Dunfermline in 1977. This will also provide an opportunity for the sport and its supporters to pay its respects to Her Majesty, for the contribution which she has made to the sport to be marked, and for racing to express its deep gratitude to her and sympathies to her family."

Flags will fly at half-mast, jockeys will wear black armbands, and a period of silence will be held before racing.

Original declarations made from Friday and Saturday's card will stand, but jockey bookings for the transferred races have been reopened until 2:00 p.m.

Other major sporting events did not take place on Friday, including the 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 sports to decide whether weekend events could go ahead.

King's Lynn , the Queen's only horse entered over the weekend, was not declared on Friday morning. He was considered a 20-1 shot for the Flying Five Stakes (G1) on the second day of Irish Champions Weekend at the Curragh on Sunday.