THIS season's controversial non-stop summer of racing is to be repeated in 2001.

Publication today of the fixture list for next year revealed meetings are scheduled for 14 successive Sundays from June 3 to September 2.

York will again stage a Sunday race meeting on September 2 2001.

This year's Sunday race meeting on September 3 is being sponsored by the Evening Press.

Other York Races dates for 2001 are: Tuesday, Wedneday, Thursday, May 15-17; Friday and Saturday, June 15-16; Friday and Saturday, July 13 and 14; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, August 21-23 (Ebor meeting); Sunday, September 2; Wednesday, September 5; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 11, 12 and 13.

Thirsk will have a Saturday evening fixture for the first time on May 12. Wetherby and Ripon lose Sunday meetings in 2001, Ripon dropping from two to one.

The amount of racing is similar to the current 2000 programme, making for over 100 days racing without a break this summer.

That has come in for criticism this year but British Horseracing Board racing executive John Smee stressed that the extended Sunday programme - part of an unchanged total of 20 Sabbath meetings through the whole year - must be given a chance.

"Any major review of the Sunday racing programme cannot be made until after this summer," he said.

Among the big races next year's Martell Grand National will be on April 7 with the Vodafone Derby on June 9 and the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes July 28.

The Cheltenham Festival will run from March 13 to 15.

Don't forget to look for your Evening Press Sunday Raceday tokens in today's paper for the meeting at York on September 3.