Doncaster Racecourse Information
Doncaster is one of the major courses in the north of England, and the turf flat season just about starts and ends here.
The host of the St. Leger first ran in 1776, which is the oldest of the five English 'classic' races and is the final one of the flat season (run in September).
Type of Racing: Flat and NH.
Flat Highlights: The St. Leger is the main feature, being the last Classic of the season. Run over 1 mile 6 furlongs, it is the final leg of the Triple Crown after the Guineas and Derby. The last horse to win the three races was the great Nijinsky in 1970.
The Lincoln Handicap (March) traditionally kicks off the beginning of the 'turf' flat season, with horses from that race worth following in April and May, as they tend to be horses who are “ready” fitness-wise. The same day is the Spring Mile.
The Vertem Futurity Trophy Stakes (Group 1), formally known as the Racing Post Trophy, run in October over a mile for 2-year-olds, is a valuable guide to the classics for the following season. Also run on the same day or the day prior is the Doncaster Stakes and a couple of competitive class two handicaps, a 6f Handicap and a 5f Handicap.
In total, Doncaster has 9 Group races on the flat.
NH Highlights:
Several feature races adorn the programme, with possibly the best known being the Great Yorkshire Chase (January) and the Grimthorpe Chase (March), which is normally held just before the Cheltenham Festival.
TV Channel: Sky Sports Racing
If you are attending Doncaster races today, then why not download the OLBG App for all the latest Doncaster tips at the course?
* All statistics below are based on the previous five years at Doncaster
Doncaster Outright Favourite Statistics
- Flat Handicaps: 165-553 (30%) -17.83
- Flat Non-Handicaps: 71-166 (43%) -12.68
- Handicap Chases: 35-130 (27%) -25.71
- Handicap Hurdles: 20-123 (16%) -66.44
- Non-Handicap Chases: 10-16 (63%) +4.47
- Non-Handicap Hurdles: 43-114 (38%) -31.45
Doncaster Racecourse Map
Flat & National Hunt: Left-handed track, Rose Hill is the highest point on the track and is situated about 10 furlongs from the winning post. There is a slight uphill stretch before and a downhill stretch after Rose Hill, but neither is steep nor prolonged. The rest of the course is basically level and has good drainage.
Doncaster Racecourse Address: The Grandstand, Leger Way, Doncaster DN2 6BB
Doncaster Racecourse Telephone: 01302 304200
To buy tickets for a race day at Doncaster, head over to their official ticket booking webpage.
Tips For Doncaster Racecourse
Knowing that the Doncaster racecourse is a true test of a horse’s speed and quality means you can bet with confidence at the track.
During times when there is no racing scheduled at Doncaster, head over to the racing predictions page to see what the tipsters are backing elsewhere today.
Doncaster is regarded as a very fair course with no excuses, and if the horse is good enough, it will win. The home straight is very wide but tends to favour horses using either side rather than the centre.
The effect of the draw varies, but in general, it pays to be where the pace is in big fields. The placement of the stalls at different meetings needs to be checked.
Avoiding trouble turning into the long straight is of paramount importance rather than the draw itself. This bend is about 5f from home on the round course, so it affects races over 8f on the round course. The Lincoln and other major 8f handicaps are run over the straight mile, so are not affected.
Races over 16.5f have a very tight bend after just a furlong, but this probably has little effect except in the case of a very big field. Visit the OLBG tips pages to view the tips and comments by the top horse racing tipsters.
Check the OLBG tips pages for detailed comments on individual horses. Check going and weather updates from the clerk of the Doncaster course.
Doncaster St Leger Festival
In September each year, Doncaster hosts the St Leger festival, a four-day meeting showcasing some of the best flat horses. Here is the schedule for races, which we cover with blogs. Each race will be linked to the race blog and detail last year's winner in the table below.
Thursday at St Leger Festival
There are a couple of Group 2s which take centre-stage on the opening day of the St Leger Festival, the £120k May Hill Stakes, where the two-year-olds feature and then the £150k Park Hill Fillies Stakes, where the older fillies compete. We also have the £300k 2-y-o Stakes, a valuable class two race.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Carrie Red Fillies Nursery | Half Sovereign (FR) 2yo - 9/4 | K R Burke Clifford Lee |
| Doncaster 2yo Stakes | Calendar Girl (GB) 2yo - 7/2 | Owen Burrows Saffie Osborne |
| May Hill Stakes | Aylin (IRE) 2yo - 5/1 | K R Burke David Egan |
| Park Hill Stakes | Santorini Star (IRE) 4yo - 7/2 | William Haggas Tom Marquand |
| St Leger Festival Middle Distance Handicap | Munsif (IRE) 3yo - 5/2 | Roger Varian Ray Dawson |
Friday at St Leger Festival
On Friday, the feature race of the day is the Group 2 Doncaster Cup, which is part of the British Champion Series and carries a £150k purse. The Flying Childers Stakes is another race on Friday, which carries a decent purse, £130k on offer for the two-year-olds.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Mallard Handicap | Subsequent (IRE) 4yo - 12/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| Flying Scotsman Stakes | Avicenna (IRE) 2yo - 11/2 | Roger Varian William Buick |
| Flying Childers Stakes | Revival Power (IRE) 2yo - 17/2 | Tim Easterby Oisin Murphy |
| Doncaster Cup | Sweet William (IRE) 6yo - 10/11 | John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin |
Saturday at St Leger Festival
The feature race of the festival, the St Leger, takes place on Saturday, another race which is part of the British Champion Series, this Group 1 carries a purse of £700k. The three races before the St Leger all carry decent purses too, the Champagne Stakes (£150k), the Portland (£100k) and the Park Stakes (£140k).
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| St Leger Festival Mile Handicap | Treble Tee (IRE) 3yo - 11/5 | Simon & Ed Crisford Oisin Murphy |
| Champagne Stakes | Puerto Rico (IRE) 2yo - 15/2 | A P O'Brien Sean Levey |
| Portland Heritage Handicap | Eternal Sunshine (GB) 5yo - 12/1 | Jim Goldie Lauren Young |
| Park Stakes | Marvelman (IRE) 3yo - 13/2 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| St Leger | Scandinavia (USA) 3yo - 2/1 | A P O'Brien Tom Marquand |
| St Leger Festival Ten Furlong Handicap | Fantasy Believer (IRE) 8yo - 9/1 | Ed Walker Oisin Murphy |
Sunday at St Leger Festival
Sunday is a bit more low-key, only one class, one race, which is the £85k Sceptre Stakes for the fillies over 7f, and there are also a couple of decent handicaps carrying good purses of £70k and £65k.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| City of Doncaster Handicap | Rogue Diplomat (IRE) 3yo - 14/1 | James Owen Harry Davies |
| St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap | Desert Falcon (IRE) 5yo - 9/1 | Julie Camacho Rowan Scott |
| Sceptre Stakes | Fair Angellica (GB) 4yo - 11/1 | Richard Hughes Finley Marsh |
Doncaster Draw Bias
✅ With an LSP of +94.73, the most successful stall at Doncaster is stall 4 when backing runners over a trip of 6f over the last five years.
❌ The stall with the worst loss at Doncaster in the win market when breaking it down to race trips is stall 11 over a trip of 7f, backing all runners in this stall over that trip over the past five years would have returned a loss of -98.00.
Here we have the draw bias for Doncaster taken into consideration in races with ten or more runners. We will break down the figures by race trips. Draws can be much more important in shorter trips, where runners do not have time to find their position during the race, meaning the draw is probably more important than in races over longer distances.
- Sprints (5f to 7½f)
- Mile (1m to 1m1½f)
- Middle Distance (1m2f to 1m5½f)
The following table shows a breakdown of a group of trips and shows how each position of the draw does, for example, in a twelve-runner race would be Low (Stalls 1-4), Mid (Stalls 5-8) and High (Stalls 9-12). The positions will always be the lowest stall number to the highest.
Doncaster Jockey & Trainer Statistics (Flat)
Who are the best flat jockeys and trainers to bet on at Doncaster?
Not only is J H M Gosden the most successful trainer at Doncaster in terms of the number of winners, but they have also returned a profit if backing all of their runners. J H M Gosden has notched up a total of thirty-four winners for an LSP of +8.15. With an eachway LSP of +36.16 at Doncaster, S R Bowring leads the trainers in profit for backing eachway, which has been helped by their fifteen placings, which include a total of five winners. At the other end of the spectrum is D O'Meara, who has a terrible record at Doncaster; of all the trainers, their LSP of -99.38 is the worst, they have a 10% strike rate with twenty-six winners from two hundred sixty-seven runners.
When looking at the leading jockeys based on wins for those who are also showing a profit when backing all of their rides, then it is William Buick who comes out at the top here at Doncaster with a total of thirty-three winners and an LSP of +49.88. N Callan is the jockey to follow at Doncaster if you are backing eachway, as they show the best LSP of all the jockeys in the eachway markets, that is +32.86, which is courtesy of their sixteen placings (six winners). With an LSP of -84.68 at Doncaster, Jason Hart heads the list for worst jockeys at this course, which is a result of eleven winners from one hundred fifty-four rides, which is a strike rate of 7%.
Doncaster Picks & Hints
Here are some factors at Doncaster for certain trainers or jockeys which have been profitable:
- 7-17 (41%) +17.92 - Backing Owen Burrows runners when horses are aged 3yo
- 5-6 (83%) +16.38 - Backing J R Boyle runners when in a Handicap race
- 5-10 (50%) +15.10 - Backing Owen Burrows runners when over a trip of 7f
Doncaster Top Jockey and Trainer Combinations
Here are the best trainer and jockey combinations here at Doncaster based on the number of winners:
- 17 Wins: J H M Gosden & Robert Havlin
- 16 Wins: Charlie Appleby & William Buick
- 8 Wins: T D Easterby & David Allan
- 8 Wins: A M Balding & Oisin Murphy
- 8 Wins: W J Haggas & Tom Marquand
Doncaster Top Trainers By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| J H M Gosden | 154-34-70 | +8.15 | -2.33 |
| W J Haggas | 134-27-62 | +61.77 | +35.64 |
| Charlie Appleby | 77-21-39 | +3.97 | -1.08 |
| K A Ryan | 169-18-50 | +1.16 | -9.07 |
| M Appleby | 134-16-41 | +25.25 | +15.78 |
| N Tinkler | 172-15-36 | +0.08 | -26.66 |
| Scott Dixon | 100-12-26 | +35.50 | +16.11 |
| M Botti | 69-11-27 | +24.58 | +18.97 |
| Simon Crisford | 49-10-20 | +5.47 | +9.90 |
| Archie Watson | 62-9-13 | +10.80 | -5.47 |
Doncaster Top Jockeys By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Buick | 114-33-54 | +49.88 | +20.59 |
| Rossa Ryan | 155-23-55 | +9.88 | +5.26 |
| Robert Havlin | 89-21-42 | +29.65 | +15.72 |
| D Muscutt | 117-20-42 | +8.93 | -2.97 |
| Cieren Fallon | 106-19-35 | +44.29 | +17.01 |
| David Egan | 106-15-33 | +8.67 | -6.80 |
| Callum Rodriguez | 105-15-45 | +9.79 | +12.42 |
| Rowan Scott | 112-11-28 | +11.75 | +1.44 |
| K T O'Neill | 92-11-27 | +15.31 | -2.05 |
| Dane O'Neill | 41-10-18 | +17.13 | +9.11 |
Doncaster Jockey & Trainer Statistics (NH)
Who are the best National Hunt jockeys and trainers to bet on at Doncaster?
N J Henderson is the leading trainer here at Doncaster with twenty-two winners, but you would have recorded a loss if you backed all of their runners, whilst following D McCain Jnr would have returned the most winners (nineteen) from a profitable trainer. If you are looking for a trainer to follow in the eachway market, then it is D McCain Jnr who leads the way at Doncaster. They have had a total of thirty-nine placings, which includes nineteen winners for an eachway LSP of +68.15. A total of fifteen winners from one hundred sixteen runners at Doncaster has Ben Pauling at the wrong end of the trainers' list with their 13% strike rate and worst LSP of -36.40.
Whilst Brian Hughes is the most successful jockey at Doncaster with a total of twenty-six winners, if you backed all of their rides, you would be showing a loss. P J Brennan is the most successful jockey at Doncaster for those who show a profit if backing all their rides, thanks to a total of twelve winners and an LSP of +45.86. Mr T Gillard is the jockey to follow at Doncaster if you are backing eachway, as they show the best LSP of all the jockeys in the eachway markets, that is +75.50, which is courtesy of their seventeen placings (eight winners). Jonathan Burke does not have a great record at Doncaster; their LSP of -50.50 has them stone dead bottom of the jockeys' list, which has come from one winner from fifty-eight rides, which is a 2% strike rate.
Doncaster Picks & Hints
Here are some factors at Doncaster for certain trainers or jockeys which have been profitable:
- 5-9 (56%) +52.66 - Backing Miss G Boanas runners when over a trip of 3m½f
- 5-12 (42%) +49.66 - Backing Miss G Boanas runners when in a Handicap Hurdle race
- 6-13 (46%) +23.00 - Backing Henry Brooke rides when on horses aged 7yo
- 7-11 (64%) +18.74 - Backing James C Bowen rides when over a trip of 3m½f
- 6-12 (50%) +17.25 - Backing O / Guerriero Greenall runners when horses are aged 7yo
Doncaster Top Jockey and Trainer Combinations
Here are the best trainer and jockey combinations here at Doncaster based on the number of winners:
- 10 Wins: D McCain Jnr & Brian Hughes
- 10 Wins: Fergal O'Brien & P J Brennan
- 8 Wins: N J Henderson & James C Bowen
- 8 Wins: O / Guerriero Greenall & Henry Brooke
- 8 Wins: N J Henderson & Nico Boinville
Doncaster Top Trainers By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| D McCain Jnr | 127-19-39 | +114.18 | +68.15 |
| Fergal O'Brien | 86-15-28 | +3.36 | -16.65 |
| A King | 91-13-34 | +4.89 | -7.90 |
| K C Bailey | 44-12-20 | +25.50 | +9.87 |
| Mrs S J Smith | 59-9-25 | +11.38 | +5.17 |
| T Lacey | 40-9-18 | +14.83 | +4.28 |
| N G Richards | 65-8-18 | +12.83 | -4.32 |
| Ian Williams | 54-8-16 | +30.62 | +17.26 |
| N B King | 49-7-18 | +9.15 | +3.57 |
| Rebecca Menzies | 41-6-12 | +8.50 | +5.39 |
Doncaster Top Jockeys By Most Winners and a Level Stakes Profit
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| P J Brennan | 33-12-18 | +45.86 | +22.79 |
| Sean Quinlan | 93-11-29 | +74.38 | +48.33 |
| Jack Quinlan | 66-9-21 | +1.68 | -10.04 |
| Mr T Gillard | 43-8-17 | +120.83 | +75.50 |
| Tom J Cannon | 54-7-21 | +13.88 | +5.97 |
| Kevin Brogan | 34-7-13 | +10.83 | -0.10 |
| David Bass | 37-6-11 | +18.00 | +7.99 |
| Harry Cobden | 25-6-10 | +2.66 | +1.63 |
| Mr Charlie Maggs | 15-6-9 | +58.00 | +38.11 |
| Nathan Moscrop | 30-5-7 | +10.00 | +0.07 |
With a huge combined experience of horse racing between them, this content has been created and is maintained by Darren Brett, James Banting and Andy Powell.
*All of the data for Doncaster Racecourse, which includes the trainer and jockey statistics, has been created using statistics available from HorseRaceBase. The data includes all races throughout the last five years (2021 to 2025).
Darren Brett
Expert Guide
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide