Doncaster St Leger Meeting 2007

Racing returns to Doncaster racecourse on Wednesday 12th September after a huge redevelopment sees a new grandstand which will be opened by the Princess Royal before racing. The feature race on Wednesday will be the £300,000 St Leger 2 yo Stakes over 6 furlongs. Thursday has the £100,000 Park Hill Stakes as its main race. This is also known as the fillies St Leger as it is for 3 yo’s+ over the St Leger distance. There are a couple of good supporting races with the £75,000 May Hill Stakes, a race for 2 yo’s over 1 mile, and the Septre Stakes, a race for 3 yo’s+ over 7 furlongs.

Friday has the Group 2 £100,00 Doncaster Cup as its main race. This race is for 3 yo’s+ over two and quarter miles. Another Group 2, the £75,000 Flying Childers Stakes, a race for 2 yo’s over 5 furlongs will also be run on Friday.

Saturday looks as though it will be a fabulous afternoons racing. The £180,000 Group 1 St Leger Stakes will be supported by the Group 2 £100,000 Champagne Stakes, a race for 2 yo’s over 7 furlongs, the Group 2 £100,000 GNER Park Stakes, a race for 3 yo’s+ over 7 furlongs and the Ladbrokes Portland Handicap, a sprint for 3 yo’s+ over 5 furlongs with prize money of £75,000.

After his terrific run on only his fourth race course appearance in the Ebor at York, Honolulu is a worthy favourite for the Group 1 St Leger Stakes. Provided he has recovered from those excertions he should win the St Leger Stakes on Saturday. For those who want to travel down memory lane I have collated all the winners of the race since 1959 when I had my first experience of the St Leger. For all the runners and riders go to racecards at the sporting life.

I left King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford in 1958 and was made to get a proper job not long after that. I had to join the local firm of Marconi Wireless and Telegraph and train as an Accountant. In those days when you joined a firm it was a job for life. Not much chance of that with me. When I started work I was given a desk next to a quiet unassuming guy who seemed to have an awful lot of visitors. They all passed him brown envelopes and some would be back to collect further brown envelopes. Yes, they had given me a desk next to the companies’ bookies runner. What chance had I got ? It was obviously easy to get a bet on. I could complete my weeks work on a Monday, had a day off for college on a Wednesday and spend the other three days trying to look busy. Plenty of time to study form.

I have mentioned in an earlier blog how I was taken to Ascot in 1959 to see the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. That day I backed Cantelo who finished fourth to Alcide who had won the St Leger Stakes the previous season. She was a three year old filly owned by bookmaker William Hill. Her next run was in the Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster where she appeared to be given an easy race and was beaten when she should have won easily.

Two days later she lined up against the colts in the St Leger Stakes and won the race by a length and a half from Fidalgo who had finished second to Parthia in the Derby that season. The victory sparked a certain amount of vocal disapproval when she entered the winners enclosure. The owner being a bookmaker did not help matters. There were rumblings of sharp practice, but it was more of jockey error in riding tactics in the Park Hill Stakes on the Thursday. All of this did not bother me as I had remained faithful to her and placed a bet with the bookies runner at 100/7.

I became very bored with working at Marconi’s and left them in 1960. The experience was not all bad as it was here that I met my wife Brenda. I certainly backed a winner there.

The St Leger Stakes was first run in 1776, the first winner being Allabaculla. Here are the winners since 1959.

1959 Cantelo, 1960 St Paddy, 1961 Aurelius, 1962 Hethersett, 1963 Ragusa, 1964 Indiana, 1965 Provoke, 1966 Sodium, 1967 Ribocco, 1968 Ribero, 1969 Intermezzo, 1970 Nijinsky, 1971 Athens Wood, 1972 Boucher, 1973 Peleid, 1974 Bustino, 1975 Bruni, 1976 Crow, 1977 Dunfermline, 1978 Julio Mariner, 1979 Son of Love, 1980 Light Cavalry, 1981 Cut Above, 1982 Touching Wood, 1983 Sun Princess, 1984 Commanche Run (race now sponsored by Holsten Pils), 1985 Oh So Sharp, 1986 Moon Madness, 1987 Reference Point, 1988 Minster Son, 1989 Michelozzo (run at Ayr as Doncaster ground unsafe), 1990 Snurge, 1991 Toulon (sponsor now Coalite), 1992 User Friendly, 1993 Bobs Return, 1994 Moonax (sponsor now Teleconnection), 1995 Classic Cliche (sponsor now Pertemps), 1996 Shantou, 1997 Silver Patriarch, 1998 Nedawi, 1999 Mutafaweq (sponsor now Rothmans Royals), 2000 Millenary, 2001 Milan, 2002 Bollin Eric, 2003 Brian Boru (sponsor now Seabiscuit), 2004 Rule of Law (sponsor now Betfair), 2005 Scorpion (sponsor now Ladbrokes), 2006 Sixties Icon.

For all the runners and riders with the jockey's colours go to Paddy Power and click on "Horse Racing".