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Doncaster’s St Leger Festival is a four-day meeting held at one of the north’s most iconic racecourses. The 2024 festival gets underway on Thursday 12th September and culminates on Sunday 15th September.
| What | St. Leger Festival 2024 |
| Where | Doncaster Racecourse, Bawtry Rd, Doncaster DN4 5HH, United Kingdom |
| When | 12-15 September 2024 |
The St Leger is the oldest of the five British Classic races and the journey in excess of a mile-and-three-quarters across Town Moor provides the stiffest stamina test for the three-year-old generation.
The Doncaster Classic is the final leg of the ‘Triple Crown’ following on from the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and The Derby at Epsom for the colts, or the 1,000 Guineas and The Oaks for the fillies.
Wednesday, September 12th 2024
Doncaster’s St Leger Festival kicks off with a seven-race card headlined by the Group 2 May Hill Stakes, a race open to the two-year old fillies. It is held over the mile and is one of two Group 2 events taking place on the opening day.
The Park Hill Stakes is also one of the highlights of day 1 and sees the fillies and mares go head-to-head over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 115 metres.
Also on the Ladies Day card is the £200,000 2YO Sales Race, one of the most valuable of its type in Britain and won in 2019 by King’s Lynn in the Royal silks of Her Majesty The Queen.
Thursday, September 13th 2024
The second afternoon of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster is home to the Group 2 Doncaster Cup, the oldest race currently run under the Rules of Horse Racing.
This fiercely testing contest is run over a trip of two-miles-and-two-furlongs and is the final leg of the ‘Stayers’ Triple Crown’ following the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Cup. Superstar stayer Stradivarius completed that particular hat-trick when winning at Doncaster in 2019.
A strong card sees the main event flanked by the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes and the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes.
Friday, September 14th 2024
The final British Classic of the season takes place at Doncaster on Saturday 11th September and the St Leger remains the acid stamina-test for the three-year-old crop. The St Leger is the oldest of the five British Classic races and at 1m6½f it is easily the longest in distance.
It is potentially the final leg of the Classic ‘Triple Crown’ for any horse successful in the Guineas at Newmarket and The Derby/Oaks at Epsom, though that magical feat hasn’t been achieved since Nijinsky in 1970.
Doncaster’s showpiece day also features top-class races including the Group 2 Champagne Stakes, the Group 2 Park Stakes and the hugely competitive Portland Handicap over 5½f – won in 2019 by Oxted before he graduated to Group 1-winning class this summer via the July Cup.
Sunday, September 15th 2024
The Leger Legends Stakes is the highlight of the final day and is a chance for riding stars of yesteryear to don their breeches and thrill fans one more time. The race was founded in 2010 and has become a hugely popular part of the St Leger Festival experience.
That charitable contest raises funds for – amongst others – the Injured Jockeys Foundation and in 2015 there were thrilling scenes when Sir Anthony McCoy came out of retirement to win the Leger Legends race.
There’s also some top-class action on day one of the St Leger Festival via the Group 3 Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes for the Classic generation and the Listed Scarbrough Stakes for the juveniles.
Make sure you mark your card by having a look at our expert daily tips from our team of racing experts throughout the St. Leger festival.
