Golden miler Ailincala is on course for a place in Brighton sporting folklore.

Chris Wall's in-form mare came through in the final stages to clinch the John Smith's Brighton Mile yesterday, her fourth success at the track this year.

The red hot 2-1 favourite was guided through from the middle of an 11-horse field by jockey Ricky Mullen to pip long-time leader Border Edge to the £20,000 jackpot by three-quarters of a length.

Ailincala, who has only ever scored once away from Brighton, now needs just one more success to join Jazzy Millennium in second place on the track's roll of honour, though still some way behind pacesetter Shikari's Son on nine wins.

There is even serious talk of a race being named after Ailincala in the not too distant future.

Her latest triumph offered a thrilling finish to the main event of the day as Brighton kicked off what looks like being its last two-day early August festival.

Not that the festival is being done away with. Rather it is being extended to three days from next year as part of a major boost for the resurgent track.

A new two-day meeting is also being created in the second half of August and there will be three extra Sunday fixtures, including the first event of 2004 on April 25.

Brighton gains one fixture to make 23 next year while Fontwell is also celebrating after being granted an extra three Sunday meetings in their 19-date calendar.

Brighton course manager Phil Bell sees the extra weekend dates as reward for the hard work put in at the venue.

He said: "Next year there will be racing in this country every Sunday and we applied to move some of our meetings.

"We will have four Sunday meetings including the big one to open the season, which we are making into a Brighton and Hove Albion race day."

Prize money for the current two-dayer totals £105,000, including £20,000 today for the winner of the Brighton Challenge Cup.

Bell added: "We have built this meeting up from a few years ago, when we had 3,200 people in total, to this year, when we are looking at 4,000 people each day. Then we will aim for 5,000 next year."

Not everyone loves Brighton, though the figures suggest that, for every critic such as top jockey Pat Eddery, there are quite a few fans.

The nature of the course means Brighton specialists, on four and two legs, are always worth looking out for on the race card.

Take trainer Richard Hannon. He arrived at the course yesterday as its most successful trainer with 34 successes in 241 races and immediately saw Old Malt improve that average in the opening race.

Then there is jockey Richard Quinn, whose double took his tally of Brighton winners to an unmatched 44 at a rate of one every five races.

He brought Sindy through strongly in the final furlong to grab the George Eden Maiden Stakes and was later in charge as Desert Royalty edged the Thorley Taverns Fillies' Handicap.

Mullen was also on track for a double on 14-1 outsider Stagnite before 7-1 shot Semenovskii came through late to take the Ebony Room Brighton Sprint for three-year-olds by three-quarters of a length in another storming finish.

It was success in the headline event which meant most, however.

Mullen said: "Certain types of horse act here and they will act no matter who is on them. That's why you see so many coming back here and winning two or three races."

Peter Botham, joint owner of Ailincala, revealed the horse might be asked to compete over an extra two furlongs purely to fit in another visit to Brighton this year.

He added: "We are running out of races at Brighton this year so we might take a chance over the extra distance."

Quinn compared Brighton to the tests faced by a golfer stepping on to a tough links course.

He said: "Brighton has got everything to test the horse. It's a switchback track, you run downhill, you've got camber up the hill so it's a true test for the horse.

"It's not an engineered track like Lingfield or Wolverhampton or Southall.This is a natural track.

"The Lingfields and Southalls take no ride. You can go around without even thinking about it.

"With this one you've got to think about what you're doing. It's unique and it's a track you should enjoy because it is a challenge."