WHERE did the summer go? Five months, seven days and 18 fixtures since the start of the 2016 Worcester racing season, we are now approaching the finale tomorrow afternoon.

The last meeting produced a fantastic result for our charity Macmillan Cancer Support.

Racegoers dug deep and generously supported the various fundraising activities organised by the ladies from Boots, resulting in an amazing record total of just over £5,000 on this annual day.

Earlier in the year, Worcester’s October 6 fixture was transferred to create the first National Hunt meeting to be held at Hereford Racecourse since 2012.

The Worcester staff fully embraced the idea of helping to reopen Hereford and, when the day dawned with not a cloud in the sky, we were all extremely proud to be part of such a historic occasion.

The feeling of goodwill everywhere you turned was something I will remember and we will continue to work closely with the Hereford team and help them to build on that special day.

As the season at Worcester draws to a close, we reflect on the many success stories.

The weather, which is so important to all racecourses from the aspect of producing decent ground for the horses as well as encouraging racegoers to attend the meetings, has been kind this year.

The owners and trainers have been wonderfully supportive as is borne out by the fact we have had 49 more horses running at the course this year than over the equivalent fixtures in 2015.

The 165 entries for tomorrow include horses from all the top yards and runners will compete for £63,000 in prize money. The races include the annual Fred Rimell Memorial Handicap Chase.

Rimell trained locally at Kinnersley and was champion National Hunt trainer five times spanning 25 years from 1951 to 1976.

Among his many achievements were four Grand National wins, two Cheltenham Gold Cups, two Champion Hurdles, a Champion Chase and three Triumph Hurdles.

Tomorrow will also see the 2016 Worcester leading owner, trainer and jockey contests decided.

With Jonjo O’Neill leading Neil Mulholland by just seven points in the trainers’ title and Aidan Coleman lying ahead of Richard Johnson by a mere six points in the jockeys’ table, it is all to play for on the last day.

More certain is JP McManus, who has run many horses at Worcester over the years, will be confirmed as our most successful owner this year.

The final fixture of the season has often produced horses who have gone on to achieve bigger things and there is no better example of this than Ballyandy.

In 2015, he had his racecourse debut in the Newcomers bumper at this meeting and went on to win the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

The gates open tomorrow at 12.20pm.