The St Leger Stakes is one of the defining races of the British Flat season. Run at Doncaster Racecourse, it is the final British Classic of the year and the oldest of the five Classics.
St Leger at a glance
The race was founded in 1776 by Colonel Anthony St Leger. Doncaster describes it as the world’s oldest Classic. The modern contest is run over about one mile and six furlongs and is restricted to three year old horses.
The St Leger also completes the traditional British Triple Crown sequence after the 2000 Guineas and Derby. Nijinsky remains the most recent horse to complete that Triple Crown, doing so in 1970.
The 2026 St Leger
The 2026 edition was run on September 12 at Doncaster and marked 250 years since the inaugural running. The race was worth £700,000.
Highwayman won the 2026 St Leger for trainer Joseph O’Brien and jockey Saffie Osborne. Enceladus finished second and Amelia Earhart was third. Osborne became the first female jockey to win a British Classic.
Read the full 2026 St Leger recap.
The 2026 St Leger also appeared in World Pool for the first time, adding an international wagering dimension to the anniversary running.
Recent winners
Scandinavia won the race in 2025 for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Tom Marquand. Jan Brueghel won in 2024, Continuous in 2023, Eldar Eldarov in 2022 and Hurricane Lane in 2021.
Why the race matters
The St Leger asks a different question from the earlier Classics. Its extended distance places a greater emphasis on stamina, while the timing of the race can bring together Derby performers, improving stayers and horses whose best form has emerged through the summer.
For readers following the wider international season, the race sits alongside major autumn targets such as the Breeders’ Cup, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the Melbourne Cup and the Japan Cup.
OTB Bet coverage
OTB Bet will use this page as the permanent home for St Leger history and annual race context. Timely previews, declarations and results will link back here rather than creating competing evergreen pages.
See the latest horse racing news and explore more major races.
Sources
Race history and recent winners were verified with Doncaster Racecourse. The 2026 date, purse, five day entries and World Pool status were verified with official Doncaster Racecourse announcements.