This weekend, Doncaster Racecourse celebrated the return of the iconic Betfred St Leger Festival which welcomed over 26,000 fans on Saturday and more than 52,000 across four unforgettable days of racing and entertainment – making it the best-attended Betfred British Classic this year.
Attendees embraced their inner fashionista on the opening day of the festival on Thursday 11th September with the Betfred Ladies Day. Married couple, Aaron and Jessica Wilson brought the wow factor, wearing matching floral themed outfits, and were the chosen winners of this year’s Style Awards. They took home an incredible prize pot worth over £1,000 courtesy of Style Awards Sponsors, Meadowhall - one of Yorkshire’s largest shopping centres.
Sweet William stole the headlines on day two on Betfred Doncaster Cup Day, with a show stopping performance that clinched the victory, seeing jockey Robert Havlin retain the Betfred Doncaster Cup in what was truly a spectacle to remember. After the racing concluded,Café Mambo resident Lovely Laura brought the iconic sunset vibes with a live sax and DJ set in the Party Enclosure, which has been a roaring success with racegoers this year.
Racegoers who attended the pinnacle day of the Betfred St Leger Festival were lucky enough to soak up the drama of the world’s oldest Classic, the St Leger Stakes, which was first ran in Doncaster in 1776. Tom Marquand riding Scandinavia fended off all challengers to record a third consecutive career win, writing themselves into the history books after a race that had punters on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
With County and Premier tickets completely sold out for St Leger Saturday days before the festival commenced, over 26,000 racegoers, an 11% uplift on attendance last year, flooded through the gates to witness the highlight of the four-day festival, the Group 1 Betfred St Leger Stakes, known for attracting leading trainers and jockeys from across the country and beyond.
Capital Breakfast host Chris Stark ended the headline day in true festival-style, spinning a live DJ set which kept the energy going after the races in the County enclosure – rebranded as the Party Enclosure for 2025.
The festival concluded with the Betfred Sunday Funday, returning for a third year following a fantastic inaugural appearance in 2023. The day included the Leger Legends Race that was first run in 2010 and remains the only British charity race for ex-professional jockeys. An abundance of family friendly entertainment was also on offer including stilt walkers, a kids disco, and a treasure hunt, providing the ultimate family day out.
Rachel Harwood, Executive Director of Doncaster Racecourse, said: “Wow, what a year! The atmosphere at this year’s Betfred St Leger Festival was unbelievable – the best one I’ve been involved in. We’ve made some changes to our offering, particularly in the County enclosure, and the feedback has been superb so we’re really pleased and I’d like to pay a special thanks to all those involved in our team who made this happen.
“Next year is a hugely significant year for the Betfred St Leger Festival, the 250th anniversary of the first running of the St Leger Stakes - the world’s oldest Classic. The milestone promises to be a landmark celebration, and the countdown is well and truly on”
Tickets for next year’s historic Betfred St Leger Festival are now available. Secure your tickets for next year at: https://www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk
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For more information, please contact the Betfred St Leger Festival PR team at Hatch: stlegerfestival@hatch.group / 0113 361 3600
About the Betfred St Leger Festival
The Betfred St Leger Festival is one of the highlights of the British flat racing season. Thousands attend to watch history in the making across four thrilling days of action and excitement. Culminating on the third day of the festival with the Group 1 Betfred St Leger Stakes, this historic race is the world’s oldest Classic and has been won by some legendary horses through the decades, with jubilant crowds watching on to see a little piece of horse racing history each year.
Doncaster Racecourse is part of Arena Racing Company (“ARC”), the largest racecourse operator in the UK. Further information about ARC can be found at www.arenaracingcompany.co.uk.
