The St Leger isn’t just the final Classic of the British flat racing season it is also the oldest, having first been run in 1776. Over a distance of 1m6½f it is the longest of the five races.
The St Leger Festival takes place at Doncaster in early to mid-September and runs from Thursday to Sunday. The first three days each have eight races on the card, with the final day on Sunday having seven races for a total of 31 across the meeting.
Alongside the big race itself there are a number of Group 2 and Group 3 contests and the popular Leger Legends race, now run on the second day, a charity race which sees former jockeys return to the saddle.
Thursday 10th September 2026, Ladies Day
The St Leger Festival begins with their Ladies Day on the Thursday. The first race of the meeting is the ‘Carrie Red’ Fillies’ Nursery Handicap over 6½f which is followed by the £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes, the most valuable race of the day. Race three is a 1m2f Class 2 handicap.
Two Group 2 races follow, the first of which being the 1m6½f Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes which is followed by the 1m May Hill Stakes for two-year-olds. The final three races on day one are a 1m Class 3 nursery handicap, a 7f Class 3 nursery handicap and a 1m4f Class 3 handicap.
- 1:15pm: British Stallion Studs “Carrie Red” EBF Fillies’ Nursery Handicap
Class 2, 6½f, 2yo, £55,000 - 1:50pm: Weatherbys £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes
Class 2, 6½f, 2yo, £410,695 - 2:25pm: Pertemps Network Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo, £70,000 - 3:00pm: Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes
Group 2, 1m6½f, 3yo+, £165,000 - 3:35pm: Betfred May Hill Stakes
Group 2, 1m, 2yo, £125,000 - 4:10pm: Meadowhall X Flannels Beauty Bar Nursery Handicap
Class 3, 1m, 2yo, £35,000 - 4:45pm: East Midlands Airport And Jet2 Nursery Handicap
Class 3, 7f, 2yo, £35,000 - 5:20pm: Pertemps Handicap
Class 3, 1m4f, 3yo+, £35,000
Friday 11th September 2026, Doncaster Cup Day
Day two opens with the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes before the Leger Legends race for former jockeys and two Group 2s in the 5f Flying Childers Stakes and Friday’s highlight, the 2m2f Doncaster Cup.
A fillies handicap, maiden fillies stakes, a nursery handicap and a 1m2f handicap complete the day’s racing.
- 1:15pm: Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes
Listed, 7f, 2yo, £65,000 - 1:50pm: Betfred Leger Legends Classified Stakes
Class 5, 1m, 3yo+, £20,000 - 2:25pm: Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes
Group 2, 5f, 2yo, £130,000 - 3:00pm: Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes
Group 2, 2m2f, 3yo+, £165,000 - 3:35pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap
Class 2, 1m4f, 3yo+, £85,000 - 4:10pm: Coopers EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £40,000 - 4:45pm: Tanbry Construction Nursery Handicap
Class 4, 6f, 2yo, £25,000 - 5:20pm: Pertemps Network Handicap
Class 4, 1m2f, 3yo+, £25,000
Saturday 12th September 2026, St Leger Day
The first race on St Leger Day is a 1m handicap before the Group 2 Champagne Stakes over 7f, the 5½f Portland and the second Group 2 of the day, the Park Stakes.
The final Classic of the flat season is race number five on Saturday, the St Leger Stakes itself. This Group 1 is run over a distance of 1m6½f and is the last leg of the Triple Crown. Following the St Leger is a maiden stakes, a 1m2f handicap and the UK Arabian Derby.
- 1:10pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
Class 2, 1m, 2yo, £50,000 - 1:45pm: Betfred Champagne Stakes
Group 2, 7f, 2yo, £150,000 - 2:20pm: Betfred Portland
Class 2, 5½f, 3yo+, £100,000 - 2:55pm: Betfred Park Stakes
Group 2, 7f, 3yo+, £165,000 - 3:35pm: Betfred St Leger Stakes
Group 1, 1m6½f, 3yo, £700,000 - 4:15pm: Pertemps Network Handicap
Class 2, 1m, 3yo+, £70,000 - 4:48pm: PJ Towey Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo+, £70,000 - 5:23pm: UAE Presidents Cup UK Arabian Derby
Group 1 Purebred Arabian, 1m2f, 4yo, £250,000
Sunday 13th September 2026
The final day of the meeting opens with three handicaps over distances of 5f, 6½f and 7f and which are followed by the Group 3 Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes over 7f.
The 1m6½f Mallard Handicap is next with the final races of the day and the meeting being a 5f handicap and a 6f apprentice handicap.
- 1:25pm: Land Of Lights Festival At Gulliver’s Handicap
Class 3, 5f, 3yo+, £35,000 - 1:55pm: Betfred ‘The Classic Bookmaker’ Handicap
Class 2, 6½f, 4yo+, £70,000 - 2:30pm: Betfred City Of Doncaster Handicap
Class 2, 7f, 3yo, £65,000 - 3:05pm: Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes
Group 3, 7f, 3yo+, £95,000 - 3:40pm: Betfred Mallard Handicap
Class 2, 1m6½f, 3yo+, £70,000 - 4:15pm: I Love Julie Parkes Handicap
Class 4, 5f, 3yo+, £15,000 - 4:50pm: Duncan Pearce Memorial Apprentice Handicap
Class 4, 6f, 3yo+, £15,000
