By Paul Ellison

There are hopes for West Sussex success as trainer David Menuisier prepares a runner for this weekend’s St Leger, the oldest of British racing’s five Classics, a race first run in 1776.

The Pulborough-based handler saddles Sunway, a full-brother to the classy Sealiway who won the prestigious British Champions Stake at Ascot in 2021.

Menuisier’s charge has already proven that he can mix it at the top-level, finishing a gallant second in this year’s Irish Derby, before running fourth in the King George at Ascot in July.

Stamina appears to be this horse’s forte, the step up in trip to one mile and six furlongs looks sure to suit, as will Doncaster’s flat, galloping track.

Sunway’s claims have also been bolstered by the booking of Belgian-born, French-based jockey Christophe Soumillion, one of the most experienced big race jockeys in the world.

The ten-time French Champion Jockey is a classy operator, a true horseman and he will biding his time aboard Sunway, conserving every ounce to equine energy to maximise his chances of securing a first St Leger victory, and what would be a first British Classic for Menuisier.

An eventful Sunday afternoon card at Fontwell Park began with a two-mile, five-and-a-half furlong handicap for conditional jockeys - younger riders with less experience who can claim a weight allowance when riding against their more experienced weighing room colleagues.

The early exit of Belle’s Benefit, unseating jockey Will Featherstone, gave the remaining eight conditionals something to think about, as Belle’s Benefit continued to run along with the field, riderless.

While the riderless horse enjoyed plotting her own path around the track, this created traffic problems for the rest of the field. Eventual winner State of Honour was hampered by the loose horse and nearly parted company with her jockey, Grade 1 winning teenager Freddie Gingell, nephew of trainer Joe Tizzard.

Fortunately the partnership stayed intact, and despite another meeting with Belle’s Benefit at the last hurdle, State of Honour eventually forged clear to score convincingly.

The feature race was a Class 3 contest, won impressively by Stream of Stars for the Twiston-Davies team.

A son of Derby winner Sea the Stars, the nine-year-old gelding travelled strongly throughout, belying a 986-day absence to win impressively.

The meeting came to a climax with a National Hunt Flat race, otherwise known as a ‘bumper’, and there was success for West Sussex trainer Lydia Richards with debutante Miss Ireland.

A daughter of four-time Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats, Miss Ireland was clearly learning on the job and victory looked far from likely with a circuit to run. However, the five-year-old mare was able to keep tabs with the odds-on favourite, before galloping into a decisive lead entering the home straight.

With the race seemingly at her mercy, Miss Ireland’s inexperience began to tell and she started to pull herself up, stopping to a walk. Fortunately she had built up enough of an advantage to recover from this wayward moment, with jockey Marc Goldstein using all his experience to coax home the mare for a debut victory.

It’s National Racehorse Week, a chance for the public to go behind the scenes and witness the first-class care that racehorses receive. Whether you’re a casual fan, an aficionado or a complete racing novice, racing welcomes all comers.#

The Shovelstrode Racing Yard in High Weald, Sussex is to open visitors this Saturday 14th September between 10am and 1pm. This stable is built on the legacy of trainer Zoe Davison, who died tragically in 2021. Zoe was a huge part of the southern racing circuit and her family continue to run the yard in her honour. If you are interested in attending, visit the National Racehorse Week website to register, and for further information about Saturday’s event.