Racing: Ascot attracts Allstar

ASCOT'S Festival of racing lags some distance behind the Breeders' Cup or Longchamp's Arc weekend as a focus of international attention, but the Berkshire course made up some ground yesterday when the New York trainer Leo O'Brien announced that Fourstars Allstar, last year's Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, is to be aimed at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on 26 September.

The four-year-old, who is the only US-based horse to win a European Classic, is one of three American-trained entries in the Group One race. The others are Leger Cat, a six-year-old with Richard Mandella in California, and Scott The Great, trained by William Hebert in New York.

Forty Niner Days finished fifth for Roger Stein's California stable in last year's race.