History
Doncaster is one of the oldest established centres for horse racing in Britain, with records of regular race meetings going back to the 16th centuary. In 1600 the corporation tried to put an end to the races because of the number of ruffians they attracted, but by 1614 it acknowledged failure and instead marked out a racecourse.
The earliest important race was the Doncaster Gold Cup, first
run over Cantley Common in 1766, ten years before a move to the
racecourse's present location. In 1776 Colonel Anthony St.
Leger founded a race in which five horses ran. This race has
remained in existence and become the world's oldest classic
race. During the first world war the racecourse was used for
military purposes and substitute races were run at Newmarket from
1915 to 1918.
Doncaster has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat
season on turf. Every September, Doncaster hosts the prestigious
four-day Ladbrokes St. Leger Festival, which is acclaimed as the
premier sporting occasion of the Autumn calender.Doncaster has also
taken over events whose traditional homes have closed, such as the
Lincoln in 1965.
More history was made at Doncaster in 1992 when it staged the first ever Sunday meeting on a British racecourse, a crowd of 23,000 turned up despite there being no betting.
Today, after more than four hundred years of racing, the Ladbrokes St. Leger is undoubtedley still the highlight of Doncaster's year. Throughout the racing calendar there is a full programme of top class racing, with flat racing in the summer and jumping action all winter.
Early running of the St Leger
Jockey John Singleton with the first ever St Leger winner in 1776 Allabaculia
