This week, I'll begin my review of the 2002 flat racing season in Yorkshire at Ripon, where the 14-day campaign, which began last week, offers record prize money of £620,000.

The most valuable race of the season continues to be the £40,000 William Hill Great St. Wilfrid Handicap Stakes - one of the best known and competitive sprint handicaps held in the north, which takes place on Saturday, August 17.

Ripon's only Listed race, the Champion Two-Years-Old Trophy on Bank Holiday Monday, August 26, has acquired a new sponsor this season - the sports betting exchange company Betfair.com, which is supporting a total of five races at the track. Another new sponsor this year is NetBetSports.com, the on-line betting service, which sponsors five races on Saturday, April 27.

Once again, there are three evening meetings during the summer - the Ripon Spring Festival Evening Meeting on Wednesday, May 29, followed by Ladies Evening on Wednesday, June 19.

The third evening meeting is on Monday, July 8, while Ripon's Sunday fixture on June 9 is complemented by four Saturday afternoon cards during the 2002 campaign. The next meeting is on Thursday.

A new innovation at Ripon this year is the provision of a permanent giant screen, installed in the old number-board building in the centre of the course, enabling racegoers to follow the action in more detail. There have been a number of improvements to the facilities in the Course Enclosure, including the refurbishment of the bar cafeteria.

Next week, I'll review Thirsk's 13-day 2002 season, which begins with the traditional two-day April meeting next Friday and Saturday. However, more imminent is this weekend's opening meeting at Pontefract - the first Saturday meeting held at the course for over 40 years. Pontefract's 16-day campaign should have started on Tuesday, but the British Horseracing Board decreed that no racing should take place on the day of the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

The action begins at 1.45, with the seven-race programme featuring a brace of £10,000-added races. Kieren Fallon can win the 1m 2f maiden race on John Dunlop's In Disguise, while Richard Hughes teams up with Barry Hills for the ride on Stands To Reason in the final race at 5.05.

BBC1 televises the opening three races at Ascot's National Hunt meeting, with Grand National-winning jockey Jim Culloty due to partner Marino West in the Long Distance Hurdle at 2.30. However, Alan King's Spendid is long overdue success. Kim Bailey's Lussino is worth following if going to post in the opener at 1.30.

Channel 4 cameras are showing four races from the flat meeting at Haydock and a couple over the sticks from Market Rasen. The banker on the Lancashire course could well be Mark Johnston's Simeon in the handicap at 4.10. The three-year-old won with something in hand at Ripon last week. At Market Rasen, the Philip Hobbs-trained Arlequin de Sou looks a good thing in the 3.20.

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