The St Leger Stakes is the oldest of Britain’s five classic races, which include the 2000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas, The Oaks, and The Derby and it is the only one held in the north of England. First contested in 1776, this race has expanded into a key racing festival on the flat and has several Group races.

How Many Days Is the St Leger Festival?

The festival gets underway on the second Thursday in September and in 2025 commences with a Ladies Day which features the Group 2 May Hill Stakes. On Friday, it is the Doncaster Cup which takes centre stage. The last leg of the Stayers’ Triple Crown (after the Goodwood Cup and the Gold Cup), this Group 2 is the oldest race in the world, having been continually run under rules since 1766.

The Group 2 Park Stakes and Champagne Stakes are the warm up acts for the St Leger itself on the Saturday with all eyes on the main race which has been ran since 1776. On Sunday, there are a couple of handicaps to look forward to, with the Group 3 Sceptre Stakes the highest quality on show.

Who Are the Favourites at the St Leger Festival?

We have our antepost St Leger odds live already and Scandinavia is the current 11/10 favourite having won the Goodwood Cup and Newmarket’s Bahrain Trophy Stakes already this year. Last year’s Derby winner Lambourn has only been seen once this year when finishing fifth in the Great Voltigeur Stakes, having been sent off as the 4/5 favourite. The three-year-old won three of four starts last year, and he is 11/4 to get his head in front this weekend.

Two other horses are at single figure prices for the Group 1, with Carmers, who was second in that Great Voltigeur Stakes priced at 9/2 and the fourth from that race, Stay True chalked up at 7/1.

With three of the top four in the betting, Aiden O’Brien is well placed to make it a hat-trick of wins in the St Leger after success in 2024 with Jan Brueghel and 2023 winner Continuous.

In addition to our fixed odds offering, we will also have a range of horse racing spread betting markets across the days and races. If you need to brush up on your racing spread betting, we have a useful guide full of hints and tips to help you on your way.

Where Can I Watch the St Leger Festival?

All days of the St Leger Festival will be shown by both ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing. Sky will carry coverage of every single race from the meeting, whilst the ITV cameras will cover plenty, but will also be screening action from other tracks across the country.

What Racecourse Is the St Leger Festival Held At?

The St Leger Stakes itself is the final leg of the British Triple Crown after the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby. The last horse to complete this feat was the great Nijinsky. The last horse to have a chance of winning the Triple Crown was Camelot and despite being 2/5 on the day he was beaten by 25/1 shot Encke.

There is so much history surrounding the St Leger Festival and it holds a dear place in the heart of the Doncaster community, where it has been held since its inception. Initially held at Cantley Common, the festival moved two years later across to its present location at Town Moor, where it has been held ever since.

Prices correct at the time of writing, odds subject to fluctuation. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit.