It's a case of "prizes for all and all must have prizes" next month.

September offers big-race targets for all manner of horses, whatever their age, sex or stamina.

Sprinters take the first turn with the Group One Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup at Haydock next Saturday, an obvious chance for runaway July Cup winner Elnadim to bounce back from his Nunthorpes Stakes defeat at York.

Speed will also be tested a fortnight later in the Ladbrokes Ayr Gold Cup, one of the biggest betting races of the year and another prize in the sights of in-form Tim Easterby whose Double Action finished a close second last year.

The stayers' big meeting is at Doncaster, which stages the Pertemps St Leger over an extended mile and three quarters on September 12.

Leading contender for the season's final Classic include Godolphin's Sea Wave, winner of the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and out to give Frankie Dettori a third win in four years.

Popular stayers Double Trigger and Oscar Schindler will each be bidding for a third win in the Great North Eastern Railways Doncaster Cup and the Jefferson Smurfit Memorial Irish St Leger at the Curragh respectively.

Milers have the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on September 26 as their main target, with Air Express being primed by Clive Brittain to aim for a repeat of last year's win.

Many top middle-distance performers are being aimed at the Esat Digifone Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown a fortnight earlier, including dual King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes winner Swain and one-time "wonder horse" Xaar.

The following day all eyes will be on Longchamp which stages three major trials for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Eurrope's biggest mile-and-a-half race.

Two-year-olds won't miss out on the fun either.

Colts can choose from the Intercell Communications Champagne Stakes (at Doncaster on September 11), Prix de la Salamandre (Longchamp, September 19) and Aga Khan Studs National Stakes (the Curragh, September 20).

Next year's 1,000 Guineas-winning filly is more than likely to be seen in either the Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile at Ascot on September 27 or the Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket two days later.

BIG RACE DATES

5 Stanley Leisure Sprint Cup, Haydock Park.

6 Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Curragh, Ireland; Emirates Prix du Moulin, Longchamp, France.

10 Great North Eastern Railways Doncaster Cup, Doncaster.

11 Intercell Communications Cham-pagne Stakes, Doncaster.

12 Pertemps St Leger, Doncaster; Esat Digifone Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Ireland.

13 Prix Foy, Prix Vermeille and Prix Niel, Longchamp, France.

17 Former champion lady rider Maxine Cowdrey (nee Juster) is 40.

19 Ladbroke Ayr Gold Cup, Ayr; Jefferson Smurfit Memorial Irish St Leger, the Curragh, Ireland; Prix de la Salamandre, Longchamp.

20 Aga Khan Studs National Stakes, the Curragh, Ireland.

26 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Ascot.

27 Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile, Ascot.

29 Shadwell Stud Cheveley Park Stakes, Newmarket.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.