THE DONCASTER ST LEGER STAKES
Anthony St Leger was born in February 1731 at Grangemellon in County Kildare, the fourth son of Sir John St Leger who was a judge. He was educated at Eton College and Peterhouse, Cambridge, the oldest of the Cambridge colleges. At the age of 30 he married Margaret Wombwell in 1761 and they returned to her native Yorkshire in 1762 to live on the Park Hill Estate in Firbeck. After leaving the 124th Regiment of Foot, where he reached the post of Lieutenant-Colonel, he became MP for Grimsby between 1768 and 1774. He established his own oval racecourse on the Park Hill Estate on which he trained the racehorses he bred at his stud. In 1776 he, along with the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, Charles Watson-Wentworth, established a race for 3 year olds over 2 miles to be run at Doncaster. Contested on Cantley Common for the first time on Tuesday 24th September 1776, and moved to its present location on Town Moor Doncaster just two years later, the St Leger is the oldest of the 5 Classic races. The idea of the name ‘St Leger Stakes’ was first muted at The Red Lion Inn in the Market Place, Doncaster in 1778 and was due to be called the Rockingham Stakes after the Marquess of Rockingham, but it was finally agreed that it should be named after Anthony St Leger of Park Hill.
It takes place each September and is run over 1 mile 6 furlongs and 115 yards. During the First World War, between 1915 and 1918, the race was staged at Newmarket over a mile and 6 furlongs of the Rowley Mile course when it was known as the September Stakes. Although the only year the race has not be held was in 1939 because of the outbreak of the Second World War, the race was transferred to Thirsk in 1940 when it was known as the Yorkshire St Leger; transferred to Manchester in 1941 when known as the New St Leger; between 1942 and 1944 it was transferred to Newmarket’s Summer Course when known as the New St Leger, and in 1945 it was staged at York when it was known as the St Leger Stakes. This site provides a comprehensive history of the St Leger; every winner, runner, owner, trainer and jockey and, where available, video clips of the majority of races run since the early 1900s. Every Classic winner has now been rated using times (the 1810 St Leger was one of the earliest occasions when a winner's time was provided), winning distances and strength of opposition. A very useful survey was carried out by the Sporting Times in May 1886 when 100 Jockey Club Members, owners, trainers, jockeys and tipsters were invited to list the top 10 racehorses. To see the results of that survey click here.
Note that the image shown above is of John Hayes St Leger, nephew of Colonel Anthony St Leger (1731 - 1786), and is in the public domain being by the artist Thomas Gainsborough who died in 1788.
Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders of all scans in this section of the site. Some contributors have asked to be acknowledged for their contributions and their wish has been granted. If anyone thinks they own an image used then contact the site owner.
History of 2000 Guineas; History of the 1000 Guineas; History of the Epsom Derby; History of the Epsom Oaks
If you have access to further artefacts which will enhance the site then email johnwslusar@gmail.com so that your items can be included.
