Champions Day at Newmarket is a feast of racing with two Group 1s, two Group 2s, a pair of Group 3s and the Cesarewitch, one of the biggest betting races of the year in England and a very unique event, considering the start of this 3,600m event is in Cambridgeshire and the finish is in Suffolk.

The programme, in its present form, dates back to 1997 and since then stars such as Pilsudki, Alborada, Kalanisi, Xaar, Distant Music, Nayef, Rock Of Gibraltar, Rakti and Shamardal have all turned in outstanding performances and stolen next day headlines.

But while all this was going on another horse was doing what he did best - demonstrating his customary conviction to beat off all others in one of the 'lesser' races on the programme. The 3,200m Group 3 Jockey Club Cup doesn't really rate alongside the established stars in the Champion Stakes, the rising stars in the Dewhurst, or the massive plunges either brought off or gone astray in the Cesarewitch.

But this weekend Persian Punch gets his reward and will be honoured, 16 months after his tragic death, in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot when a life-sized bronze statue created by renowned equine sculptor Philip Blacker will be unveiled at Newmarket.

Persian Punch was the epitome of a racehorse, the "way they used to breed them". He ran in four Jockey Club Cups, finishing third to Celeric in 1996 before victories in 2000 (defeating Royal Rebel), 2002 (defeating Boreas) and 2003 (defeating Millenary).

It would be fair to say he could have run in six Jockey Club Cups and won five but he missed in 1998 and 2001 - when he was on overseas duty finishing third to Jezabeel in the 1998 Melbourne Cup and occupying a similar place behind Ethereal in 2001.

But such was Persian Punch's popularity his performances at Newmarket did not go unnoticed. There won't be many that would say they were there the day Kalanisi bravely defied Montjeu in the 2000 Champion Stakes but all will say they were there when Persian Punch won his third Jockey Club Cup.