What's on this week: Group 1 action at Doncaster as Cheltenham kicks off season

Monday

Pontefract ends its season with the Listed Silver Tankard Stakes (3.50), a race won by subsequent Investec Oaks fourth Manuela De Vega last year. Windsor (afternoon) and Southwell (evening) complete the Flat action, while leading jumps trainers Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson have runners at Plumpton.

Tuesday

The only jumps action of the day takes place at Exeter with the Prydis Love Devon Handicap Chase (3.35) and Best Mate Beginners' Chase (4.10) the standout races. The rest of the fixtures are on the Flat with the Curragh, Yarmouth and Newcastle in the afternoon before Kempton in the evening.

Wednesday

Fans of two-year-old races are in for a treat as Newmarket's penultimate fixture of the season features seven juvenile contests. Elsewhere, the latest of the lunchtime trials takes place at Worcester, where the action starts at 12.15.

In Australia, Red Galileo, True Self and Prince Of Arran will seek to boost their chances of making the cut for next month's Lexus Melbourne Cup in the Group 3 Bet365 Geelong Cup (6.00).

Thursday

Carlisle's chase track has long been a popular place to educate a young star and that looks to be the case again with the Racingtv.com Beginners' Chase (3.00) packed full of high-ranking hurdlers. Global Citizen, Brewin'upastorm and Good Boy Bobby are already jocked up and could be joined by the likes of Midnight Shadow.

There are also afternoon jump meetings at Southwell, Thurles and Ludlow before the action switches to the all-weather in the evening at Wolverhampton and Chelmsford.

Friday

The spiritual home of jump racing is back in business with Cheltenham hosting day one of its two-day October meeting. Races such as the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle (2.00) and Matchbook Most Trusted Betting Exchange Novices' Chase (3.45) mean the road to the festival in March begins in earnest.

There is still plenty of life in the Flat season with Newbury and Doncaster also kicking off two-day fixtures.

Saturday

The final Group 1 of the British Flat season takes place at Doncaster with the Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes (3.25) guaranteed to provide pointers for next year's Classics. Aidan O'Brien totally dominates the entries with 11 of the 12 possibles at the five-day stage as he bids to equal Sir Henry Cecil's record ten victories. The Andrew Balding-trained Kameko is only one standing in the way.

The second day of Cheltenham is headlined by two £60,000 handicap chases, the Matchbook Betting Exchange Handicap Chase (2.00) and the Randox Health Handicap Chase (3.10).

Newbury brings the curtain down on its Flat season with two historic Group 3 contests, the St Simon Stakes (2.20) and Horris Hill Stakes (2.50), while Leopardstown's October Premier Handicap fixture also features the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes and Listed Knockaire Stakes.

Sunday

Racing returns to Aintree with the mouth-watering prospect of Ryanair hero Frodon making his comeback for Bryony Frost and Paul Nicholls in the Monet's Garden Old Roan Chase (3.00). On a traditionally informative card, the veterans' chase (1.50) is another race not to be missed.

Wincanton stages the other British meeting, with a pair of fixtures in Ireland at Galway and Wexford.

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