The end of summer brings with it the end of the flat racing calendar. But, national hunt racing, or jumps racing as it is known, starts in earnest as the turf flat racing season ends.

At this time, most trainers have already been working their star jumpers on the roads and on the uphill grass gallops to get them fit for the start of an arduous campaign that for most hope will end in victory at one of the big races at Cheltenham, Aintree or Punchestown in the spring of the following year.

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major horse race and is often described as the “The race that stops a nation”.

Its run over 3,200 metres (2 miles), is one of the richest turf races in the world and is always held at around 2.50pm on the first Tuesday in November at Flemington Park racecourse in Melbourne.

For many years several racehorses trained in England have run in the race, but none have won - although the Irish trainer Dermot Weld has won the race twice with Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002 (both owned by Dr. M W Smurfit).

Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire horse race is one of the big handicap races of the flat racing season, usually held at the backend of September or early October.

The race is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older and is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong (1,811 metres).

It is the only major handicap race of the season run over this distance and as a consequence attracts plenty of horses that usually run over one mile and those who run over one mile furlongs.

The Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe takes place at Longchamp, Paris in the first week of October and it has long been established as the premier all aged middle distance horse race of the entire season.

Traditionally, the race has brought the best horses from all over Europe, and in recent times the World, together in order to establish who is the best all-aged middle distance of the year. Past winners include the brilliant Sea The Stars, Ribot, Dancing Brave, Zarkava, Suave Dancer and last year Workforce.