St. Leger Stakes
The
St. Leger Stakes is a 1
mile 6
furlongs and 132
yards (about 2940
metres)
thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds run in September of each year at
Doncaster,
Yorkshire,
England. First held in
1776, it is known as "the oldest classic turf race",having eclipsed the even older
Doncaster Cup as the most important race run at the course.
Preceded by the
Two Thousand Guineas Stakes and the
Epsom Derby, it is the final leg of the
English Triple Crown.
History
A sweepstake of 25 guineas was held over two miles on Cantley Common (two miles east of the current racecourse), on
24th September 1776. The rules stipulated that colts should carry eight
stone of weight, and
fillies seven stone twelve pounds.
The event was organised by
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (a prominent
politician and former
Prime Minister) and was the idea of Lieutenant Colonel
Anthony St Leger (a former
MP). On the day, the winning horse (from a field of five) was owned by Rockingham, with a horse owned by St Leger following in second.
The event didn't receive its name until a meeting held between the
1777 and
1778 meets. When it was suggested that the race should be called the
Rockingham Stakes, the Marquess is said to have replied, "No it was my friend St Leger who suggested the thing to me - call it after him".
Local legend suggests that Anthony St Leger may have staged a fore-runner of the 1776 race at his private racecourse in
Firbeck, eight miles south of Doncaster.
In
1779, the race moved from Cantley to a new course on the
Town Moor, where it remains to this day.
Results
YEAR -- WINNER
- 1776 -- Allabaculia\n*1777 -- Bourbon\n*1778 -- Hollandaise\n*1779 -- Tommy\n*1780 -- Ruler\n*1781 -- Serina\n*1782 -- Imperatrix\n*1783 -- Phoenomenon\n*1784 -- Omphale\n*1785 -- Cowslip\n*1786 -- Paragon\n*1787 -- Spadille\n*1788 -- Young Flora\n*1789 -- Pewett\n*1790 -- Ambidexter\n*1791 -- Young Traveller\n*1792 -- Tartar\n*1793 -- Ninety-Three\n*1794 -- Beningbrough\n*1795 -- Hambletonian\n*1796 -- Ambrosio\n*1797 -- Lounger\n*1798 -- Symmetry\n*1799 -- Cockfighter\n*1800 -- Champion\n*1801 -- Quiz\n*1802 -- Orville\n*1803 -- Remembrancer\n*1804 -- Sancho\n*1805 -- Stavely\n*1806 -- Fyldener\n*1807 -- Paulina\n*1808 -- Petronius\n*1809 -- Ashton\n*1810 -- Octavian\n*1811 -- Soothsayer\n*1812 -- Otterington\n*1813 -- Altisidora\n*1814 -- William\n*1815 -- Filho da Puta\n*1816 -- The Duchess\n*1817 -- Ebor\n*1818 -- Reveller\n*1819 -- Antonio\n*1820 -- St. Patrick\n*1821 -- Jack Spigot\n*1822 -- Theodore\n*1823 -- Barefoot\n*1824 -- Jerry\n*1825 -- Memnon\n*1826 -- Tarrare\n*1827 -- Matilda\n*1828 -- The Colonel\n*1829 -- Rowton\n*1830 -- Birmingham\n*1831 -- Chorister\n*1832 -- Margrave\n*1833 -- Rockingham\n*1834 -- Touchstone\n*1835 -- Queen of Trumps\n*1836 -- Elis\n*1837 -- Mango\n*1838 -- Don John\n*1839 -- Charles the Twelfth\n*1840 -- Launcelot\n*1841 -- Satirist\n*1842 -- Blue Bonnet\n*1843 -- Nutwith\n*1844 -- Faugh-A-Ballagh\n*1845 -- The Baron\n*1846 -- Sir Tatton Sykes\n*1847 -- Van Tromp\n*1848 -- Surplice\n*1849 -- The Flying Dutchman\n*1850 -- Voltigeur\n*1851 -- Newminster\n*1852 -- Stockwell\n*1853 -- West Australian +++\n*1854 -- Knight of St. George\n*1855 -- Saucebox\n*1856 -- Warlock\n*1857 -- Imperieuse\n*1858 -- Sunbeam\n*1859 -- Gamester\n*1860 -- St. Albans\n*1861 -- Caller Ou\n*1862 -- The Marquis\n*1863 -- Lord Clifden\n*1864 -- Blair Athol\n*1865 -- Gladiateur +++\n*1866 -- Lord Lyon +++\n*1867 -- Achievement\n*1868 -- Formosa\n*1869 -- Pero Gomez\n*1870 -- Hawthornden\n*1871 -- Hannah\n*1872 -- Wenlock\n*1873 -- Marie Stuart\n*1874 -- Apology\n*1875 -- Craig Millar\n*1876 -- Petrarch\n*1877 -- Silvio\n*1878 -- Jannette\n*1879 -- Rayon d'Or\n*1880 -- Robert the Devil\n*1881 -- Iroquois\n*1882 -- Dutch Oven\n*1883 -- Ossian\n*1884 -- The Lambkin\n*1885 -- Melton\n*1886 -- Ormonde +++\n*1887 -- Kilwarlin\n*1888 -- Seabreeze\n*1889 -- Donovan\n*1890 -- Memoir\n*1891 -- Common +++\n*1892 -- La Fleche\n*1893 -- Isinglass +++\n*1894 -- Throstle\n*1895 -- Sir Visto\n*1896 -- Persimmon\n*1897 -- Galtee More +++\n*1898 -- Wildfowler\n*1899 -- Flying Fox +++\n*1900 -- Diamond Jubilee +++\n*1901 -- Doricles\n*1902 -- Sceptre\n*1903 -- Rock Sand +++\n*1904 -- Pretty Polly\n*1905 -- Challacombe\n*1906 -- Troutbeck\n*1907 -- Wool Winder\n*1908 -- Your Majesty\n*1909 -- Bayardo\n*1910 -- Swynford\n*1911 -- Prince Palatine\n*1912 -- Tracery\n*1913 -- Night Hawk\n*1914 -- Black Jester\n*1915 -- Pommern +++\n*1916 -- Hurry On\n*1917 -- Gay Crusader +++\n*1918 -- Gainsborough +++\n*1919 -- Keysoe\n*1920 -- Caligula\n*1921 -- Polemarch\n*1922 -- Royal Lancer\n*1923 -- Tranquil\n*1924 -- Salmon-Trout\n*1925 -- Solario\n*1926 -- Coronach\n*1927 -- Book Law\n*1928 -- Fairway\n*1929 -- Trigo\n*1930 -- Singapore\n*1931 -- Sandwich\n*1932 -- Firdaussi\n*1933 -- Hyperion\n*1934 -- Windsor Lad\n*1935 -- Bahram +++\n*1936 -- Boswell\n*1937 -- Chulmleigh\n*1938 -- Scottish Union\n*1939 -- no race because of the outbreak of World War II\n*1940 -- Turkhan\n*1941 -- Sun Castle\n*1942 -- Sun Chariot\n*1943 -- Herringbone\n*1944 -- Tehran\n*1945 -- Chamossaire\n*1946 -- Airborne\n*1947 -- Sayajirao\n*1948 -- Black Tarquin\n*1949 -- Ridge Wood\n*1950 -- Scratch\n*1951 -- Talma\n*1952 -- Tulyar\n*1953 -- Premonition\n*1954 -- Never Say Die\n*1955 -- Meld\n*1956 -- Cambremer\n*1957 -- Ballymoss\n*1958 -- Alcide\n*1959 -- Cantelo\n*1960 -- St. Paddy\n*1961 -- Aurelius\n*1962 -- Hethersett\n*1963 -- Ragusa\n*1964 -- Indiana\n*1965 -- Provoke\n*1966 -- Sodium\n*1967 -- Ribocco\n*1968 -- Ribero\n*1969 -- Intermezzo\n*1970 -- Nijinsky II +++\n*1971 -- Athens Wood\n*1972 -- Boucher\n*1973 -- Peleid\n*1974 -- Bustino\n*1975 -- Bruni\n*1976 -- Crow\n*1977 -- Dunfermline\n*1978 -- Julio Mariner\n*1979 -- Son of Love\n*1980 -- Light Cavalry\n*1981 -- Cut Above\n*1982 -- Touching Wood\n*1983 -- Sun Princess\n*1984 -- Commanche Run\n*1985 -- Oh So Sharp\n*1986 -- Moon Madness\n*1987 -- Reference Point\n*1988 -- Minister Son\n*1989 -- Michelozzo\n*1990 -- Snurge\n*1991 -- Toulon\n*1992 -- User Friendly\n*1993 -- Bob's Return\n*1994 -- Moonax\n*1995 -- Classic Cliche\n*1996 -- Shantou\n*1997 -- Silver Patriarch\n*1998 -- Nedawi\n*1999 -- Mutafaweq\n*2000 -- Millenary\n*2001 -- Milan\n*2002 -- Bollin Eric\n*2003 -- Brian Boru
\n+++ Denotes a Triple Crown Winner