The St. Leger Stakes horse race is held in September and is one of the biggest British horse racing events. It is a part of the UK Triple Crown and takes places over the longest distance of the three races. The event has been around since the 18th century which makes it one of the oldest races overall. Even though it has a good reputation, some horse owners do not allow their horses to participate in it due to the long distance. However, many people still go to the racecourse or turn on their TV’s to watch the race.
Horse Race Information
The Doncaster Racecourse hosts the race in September each year. The event takes place on grass, is a flat race, and three-year-old Thoroughbreds can enter in it. However, only colts and fillies are eligible to participate (no geldings). The length of the contest is 2937 meters (1 mile, 6 furlongs, and 132 yards). That means it is two furlongs longer than the longest race in the US Triple Crown – the Belmont Stakes. The winner receives 300,000 GBP from the total prize pool of 500,000 Great British pounds.
St. Leger Stakes Horse Race History
The founder of the race was Charles Watson-Wentworth, and his horse won the first even in 1776. The horse did not have a name, but Watson-Wentworth decided to call it Allabacullia later on. The race was also nameless, and even though there was a proposal of naming it after the founder, he refused and named it after the man who had the first idea for the race – the army officer Anthony St. Leger.
The original distance was two miles, and the event took place at Cantley Common, but the venue was changed after only two years. However, the distance remained the same until 1813 when it was shortened to the current length. The event was not held regularly during the two World Wars, or the racecourse was different. The only year when the St. Leger Stakes did not take place at all was 1939.
The St. Leger Stakes Horse Race serves as inspiration for the Irish St. Leger, the New Zealand St. Leger, the VRC St. Leger, and the French St. Leger.
Betting on the St. Leger Stakes
Many punters like placing a wager on the St. Leger Stakes, and even though the markets open early and you can make your pick in advance, a smarter choice would be to postpone as much as possible before placing a bet. If you cannot attend the racetrack in person, the best alternative would be to use an online gambling site to place your wager. That way you do not have to leave your home, and you also can take advantage of one of the many promotional offers which bookies have.
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