Summer officially arrives for racing fans next week.

Tuesday sees the start of the Newmarket July meeting, the first of the three big mid-season Festivals ahead of Glorious Goodwood and the York Ebor meeting.

Fingers will be crossed for sunny weather at the three-day fixture, staged on the July Course which has a more relaxed atmosphere than the Rowley Mile venue at Newmarket.

But the top-class quality of the racing is a safer bet.

Highlight is Thursday's Group One Darley July Cup, which should go a long way towards determining this year's sprint championship.

Other races to look out for include the mile-and-a-half Princess Of Wales's Stakes on Tuesday and the same day's Cherry Hinton Stakes - an early test for next year's 1,000 Guineas hopes.

Channel 4 cameras head north on Saturday to York for the 39th running of the John Smith's Cup - Flat racing's oldest sponsored event, better known under its former name of the Magnet Cup.

Pasternak will be back in an attempt to repeat his gambled-on victory of 12 months ago in one of the most competitive mile-and-a-quarter handicaps of the season.

Armchair viewers will also be able to enjoy BBC coverage from Newbury on Sunday, a card which forms the "aperitif" to the evening's World Cup final in Paris.

On the same day Shahtoush bids to become the first Vodafone Oaks winner to follow up in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh since 1992.

She faces a rematch with the Epsom second Bahr, who has since lifted the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Chester Cup winner Silence In Court has died after a bout of colic.

The seven-year-old, who landed a gamble in the race on his reappearance when beating Turnpole by two lengths in May, suffered an attack on Tuesday but had seemingly recovered, only to have a relapse two days later.

After his Chester triumph, Silence In Court ran the best race of his life when fourth, on unsuitably soft ground, to Kayf Tara in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.

"Racing is a great leveller," reflected trainer Kim Bailey. "Two weeks ago we were all so proud of him, finishing fourth in the Ascot Gold Cup, we were over the moon. Now, two weeks later, he's gone."

The winners of the English, French, Irish and Italian Derbys are all among the 54 entries for the St Leger, due to be run at Doncaster on Saturday, September 12.

Dream Well (Chantilly and The Curragh), High-Rise (Epsom) and Central Park (Cappanelle) ar4e joined by the Epsom second, third and fourth home - City Honours, Border Arrow and Sunshine Street.

Vodafone Oaks winner Shahtoush is also among the entries as is runner-up Bahr, who has since scored a convincing win in the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot.

John Sanderson, chief executive at Doncaster, said: "We are thrilled that this year's Pertemps St Leger has attracted such a strong entry."

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