IN recent years the battle for flat racing's jockeys' championship could almost be pre-scripted - Kieren Fallon dominated.
In 2004 Frankie Dettori, reinvigorated to be number one rider again, roared back.
This year, the twists and turns in the title race have been dramatic.
First, Kieren Fallon became leading Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's stable jockey and, in effect, wrote himself out of the British championship which is judged on the number of individual winning rides.
Frankie Dettori broke a collarbone, and Fallon's predecessor Jamie Spencer became hot favourite.
Then a series of less famous names became contenders - principally Seb Sanders and Robert Winston, and the latter was odds-on favourite when he took a terrible fall at Ayr, breaking his jaw.
Now it's Sanders versus Spencer - and the topsy-turvy contest could continue at Chester Racecourse's Blue Square Beautiful Festival next week.
Over the three days from today (Thursday 18) to Saturday 20, more than £250,000 in prize money will be up for grabs, with the racing highlight being the £50,000 bet@bluesq.com Handicap Stakes on the third day.
Racegoers dressed in blue may be selected by Miss UK Amy Guy for the 'Best in Blue' competition, the winner of which will receive a £100 shopping voucher to spend at Browns of Chester with a personal shopper and a £100 betting voucher from Blue Square.
Last Saturday Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse staged its annual family day - Wrexham Raceday.
There was high class action on the racecourse with the inaugural running of the £30,000 Corbett Bookmakers Dee Hurdle, the richest race at Bangor-on-Dee yet.
