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 two days each have eight races on the card, with the final two days over the weekend having seven races per day for a total of 30 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, run on the final day, a charity race which sees former jockeys return to the saddle.
Thursday 11th September 2025, 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.
Two Group 2 races follow, the first of which being the 1m May Hill Stakes for two-year-olds which is followed by the 1m6½f Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes. The final four races on day one are a Class 2 handicap, a 7f Class 3 nursery handicap, a 1m Class 3 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 Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes
Class 2, 6½f, 2yo, £300,000 - 2:25pm: Betfred May Hill Stakes
Group 2, 1m, 2yo, £120,000 - 3:00pm: Betfred Park Hill Fillies’ Stakes
Group 2, 1m6½f, 3yo+, £150,000 - 3:35pm: Oddschecker Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo, £70,000 - 4:10pm: JHA Architecture Nursery Handicap
Class 3, 7f, 2yo, £35,000 - 4:43pm: Yates Drywall Ltd Nursery Handicap
Class 3, 1m, 2yo, £35,000 - 5:15pm: Winners Wear Skopes Menswear Handicap
Class 3, 1m4f, 3yo+, £35,000
Friday 12th September 2025, Doncaster Cup Day
Day two opens with the 1m6½f Mallard Handicap before the Listed Flying Scotsman Stakes 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 an apprentice handicap complete the day’s racing.
- 1:15pm: Betfred Mallard Handicap
Class 2, 1m6½f, 3yo+, £70,000 - 1:50pm: Betfred Flying Scotsman Stakes
Listed, 7f, 2yo, £65,000 - 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+, £150,000 - 3:40pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Premier Fillies’ Handicap
Class 2, 1m4f, 3yo+, £70,000 - 4:10pm: Coopers Marquees EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes
Class 2, 7f, 2yo, £40,000 - 4:45pm: Tanbury Construction “Confined” Nursery Handicap
Class 4, 6f, 2yo, £25,000 - 5:20pm: Danum Homes Excellence In Build Apprentice Handicap
Class 4, 6f, 3yo+, £22,000
Saturday 13th September 2025, 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 and a 1m2f handicap.
- 1:15pm: PJ Towey Construction Handicap
Class 2, 1m, 3yo+, £70,000 - 1:50pm: Betfred Champagne Stakes
Group 2, 7f, 2yo, £150,000 - 2:25pm: Betfred Portland
Class 2, 5½f, 3yo+, £100,000 - 3:00pm: Betfred Park Stakes
Group 2, 7f, 3yo+, £140,000 - 3:40pm: Betfred St Leger Stakes
Group 1, 1m6½f, 3yo, £700,000 - 4:15pm: British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes
Class 2, 1m, 2yo, £50,000 - 4:50pm: Mastiff Manor Handicap
Class 2, 1m2f, 3yo+, £70,000
Sunday 14th September 2025
The final day of the meeting opens with three handicaps over distances of 1m2f, 7f and 6½f which are followed by the Leger Legends race for former jockeys.
The Group 3 Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes over 7f is next with the final races of the day and the meeting being two 5f handicaps.
- 1:55pm: I Love Julie Parkes Handicap
Class 4, 1m2f, 3yo+, £22,000 - 2:30pm: Betfred City Of Doncaster Handicap
Class 2, 7f, 3yo, £65,000 - 3:00pm: Betfred ‘The Classic Bookmaker’ Handicap
Class 2, 6½f, 4yo+, £70,000 - 3:35pm: IPM Group Leger Legends Classified Stakes
Class 5, 1m, 3yo+, £22,000 - 4:10pm: Japan Racing Association Sceptre Fillies’ Stakes
Group 3, 7f, 3yo+, £85,000 - 4:40pm: Pertemps Network Handicap
Class 3, 5f, 3yo+, £35,000 - 5:18pm: Land Of Lights Festival At Gulliver’s Handicap
Class 4, 5f, 3yo+, £22,000
