You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident youâre betting with more than just gut instinct.
2025 Doncaster Cup Preview
Established in 1766, the Doncaster Cup, which was originally called the 'Doncaster Gold Cup', is a Group 2 race that is open to runners aged three or older.
The race is run at the St Leger Festival at Doncaster racecourse in September and is a real stamina tester, being run over just shy of two miles and two furlongs (197y).
For sponsorship purposes, the 2025 renewal of the Doncaster Cup will hold the title of 'Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup Stakes'.
Doncaster Cup Information:
We also have a dedicated Doncaster tips page that will cover this race as well as all of the other races on the day of the race. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal races during the Doncaster St Leger Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2025
How competitive is the Doncaster Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009 when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2019 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 120%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Doncaster Cup, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2025 Doncaster Cup Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the Doncaster Cup Trend Analysis. With the field now finalised, we have the Doncaster Cup Trend Shortlist, which is created using the listed trends.
These are the top three quickest-run Doncaster Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Septimus (3:48.41) in 2007
- Pallasator (3:49.60) in 2015
- Saddlers Rock (3:49.83) in 2011
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Doncaster Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 19 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -0.60. Whilst we wait for the 2025 Doncaster Cup, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 3:48.41 was set by Septimus in 2007, which is the quickest time over that period. The runner was trained by A P O'Brien and ridden by Johnny Murtagh. The slowest winning time was set in 2023 when Trueshan won in a time of 4:05.61, booked to ride was Hollie Doyle by trainer Alan King.
Doncaster Cup Past Winners
Here are the Doncaster Cup past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the year of the race, the horse which won, along with the age & weight of the horse. Also detailed is the stall where the horse came from and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the Doncaster Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 3:54.17 | Sweet William (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (1 of 6) 7/4F | Robert Havlin John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
| 2023 4:05.61 | Trueshan (FR) 7yo 9-7 (3 of 5) 100/30 | Hollie Doyle Alan King (GB) |
| 2022 4:01.03 | Coltrane (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (6 of 6) 9/1 | David Probert Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2021 3:53.02 | Stradivarius (IRE) 7yo 9-8 (5 of 6) 4/11F | Frankie Dettori John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
| 2020 3:55.84 | Spanish Mission (USA) 4yo 9-5 (2 of 7) 6/4F | William Buick Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2019 3:59.28 | Stradivarius (IRE) 5yo 9-10 (4 of 5) 1/9F | Frankie Dettori John Gosden (GB) |
| 2018 3:53.17 | Thomas Hobson (GB) 8yo 9-5 (6 of 8) 2/1F | Ryan Moore W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 3:51.88 | Desert Skyline (IRE) 3yo 8-5 (6 of 9) 2/1F | Silvestre De Sousa David Elsworth (GB) |
| 2016 3:52.97 | Sheikhzayedroad (GB) 7yo 9-3 (4 of 8) 100/30 | Martin Harley David Simcock (GB) |
| 2015 3:49.60 | Pallasator (GB) 6yo 9-3 (1 of 11) 9/2F | Andrea Atzeni Sir Mark Prescott Bt (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Doncaster Cup have been based:
- GB: 16 winners with an additional 26 placings from 130 runners
- IRE: 4 winners with an additional 4 placings from 23 runners
- USA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2024 Doncaster Cup Replay
Doncaster Cup Trainer Statistics
There are two leading trainers in the Doncaster Cup over the last 20 renewals, with both Andrew Balding and John & Thady Gosden, who have both won the race twice. Andrew Balding winners have been with Spanish Mission (2020) and Coltrane (2022). John & Thady Gosden winners have been with Stradivarius (2021) and Sweet William (2024).
Here are the Doncaster Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 renewals for trainers who have entries in the 2025 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Balding | 9-2-4 | +3.50 | +3.22 |
| John & Thady Gosden | 4-2-3 | +0.11 | +0.19 |
| Sir Mark Prescott Bt | 11-1-4 | -5.50 | -2.80 |
| W P Mullins | 10-1-4 | -7.00 | -4.40 |
| Hughie Morrison | 4-0-1 | -4.00 | -2.95 |
| Brian Ellison | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
| Ralph Beckett | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
Doncaster Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Doncaster Cup over the last 20 renewals is William Buick, who has won the race two times, with those two winners coming from Samuel (2010) and Spanish Mission (2020).
Here are the Doncaster Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 renewals for jockeys who have rides in the 2025 renewal; those not listed have not had a runner. (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Buick (Hipop De Loire) | 7-2-2 | +1.50 | -1.06 |
| Robert Havlin (Sweet William) | 3-1-2 | -0.25 | -0.04 |
| Luke Morris (Pendragon) | 6-0-2 | -6.00 | -2.40 |
| Oisin Murphy (Sunway) | 5-0-1 | -5.00 | -2.50 |
| P J McDonald (Coltrane) | 1-0-0 | -1.00 | -1.00 |
2025 Doncaster Cup Trends
Favourites finishing positions (oldest to latest): 6, 1, 1, 1, 3, 4, 2, 5, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 5, 1
The percentage shown is the percentage of the total number of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 20 / 20 (40%) - Within the first 3 of the market
- 20 / 20 (51%) - No bigger than 9/1
- 20 / 20 (66%) - No bigger than 12/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Not in a Handicap (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (71%) - Highest Placed is not LST/Cl2
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Achieved an RPR of 97+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - In a field of 4 - 14 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Won within last 7 starts
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 81+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Highest Run is not G3/Cl2-3
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Not BB/BR/GR in colour
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Dam is not GER/USA bred
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Achieved a TS of 75+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Placed within last 4 starts
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Had 1 - 7 placings (1 Year)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Doncaster racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Doncaster Cup. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the Doncaster Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
Doncaster Cup Trend Shortlist
Doncaster will host the 2025 renewal of the Doncaster Cup, which will be run at 3:00 pm on Friday, 12th September 2025, and these are the runners who perform best based on the trends, along with the trainer and jockey and their record in the race (Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP):
- 15/15 Sweet William (11/8)
- John & Thady Gosden (4-2-3 +0.11 / +0.19)
- Robert Havlin (3-1-2 -0.25 / -0.04)
Others: Coltrane (13/15), Kyle Of Lochalsh (12/15), Sunway (12/15), Hipop De Loire (11/15), Pendragon (11/15), Tashkhan (10/15) and Oxford Comma (9/15).
*Trainer & Jockey numbers are Runs-Wins-Places Win LSP / EW LSP, Runners, Odds and Trends Passed/Failed correct at the time of posting (11:51 am Wednesday 10th September 2025), if no odds were available at the time of posting, then forecasted odds are used.
Kyle Of Lochalsh won the Goodwood Handicap last time out, and a total of 2 previous winners of that race from a total of 19 runners went on to win next time out, backing them all would have returned an LSP of -14.65.
Doncaster Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +8.58, is when runners were 1st in the betting market.
❌ The worst performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Handicap last time out, when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-44.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2024: Winner in 1 (2) [6 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 3 (2) [5 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 6 (5) [6 Runners]
- 2021: Winner in 5 (3) [6 Runners]
- 2020: Winner in 2 (3) [7 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Doncaster Cup is York; there have been a total of 11 winners of this race who ran at York last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Goodwood; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Goodwood last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with the Male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 139 runners, whilst the Female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 15 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Doncaster Cup:
- Sea The Stars (3 Wins)
- Montjeu (2 Wins)
- Olden Times (2 Wins)
- Sadlers Wells (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Coltrane in 2022, winning for Andrew Balding at odds of 9/1 under the guidance of David Probert. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 11 winning favourites in the race. Ahead of the 2025 Doncaster Cup, why not head over to the best racing tipster page to see what the tipsters are backing today?
Route to the Doncaster Cup
Many trainers will target races to use as prep races before coming to the Doncaster Cup. These are the races which the recent winners ran in before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2024 - Sweet William Goodwood - 2nd of 6 (11/2) | Goodwood Cup |
| 2023 - Trueshan Ascot - 4th of 6 (1/1) | Longines Sagaro Stakes |
| 2022 - Coltrane York - 2nd of 6 (5/4) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2021 - Stradivarius York - 1st of 4 (4/6) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2020 - Spanish Mission Chester - 1st of 6 (10/11) | Share Shop Chester Stakes |
| 2019 - Stradivarius York - 1st of 4 (4/9) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2018 - Thomas Hobson Curragh - 5th of 7 (5/1) | Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial Stakes |
| 2017 - Desert Skyline Deauville - 2nd of 8 (36/5) | Darley Prix Kergorlay |
| 2016 - Sheikhzayedroad Goodwood - 3rd of 14 (11/1) | Goodwood Cup |
| 2015 - Pallasator Newbury - 4th of 6 (4/1) | Betfred Geoffrey Freer Stakes |
Other Principal races during the Doncaster St Leger Festival
Here is the schedule for the four-day St Leger Festival 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 | Ghost Run (GB) 2yo - 5/1 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
| Doncaster 2yo Stakes | Hallasan (GB) 2yo - 15/2 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| May Hill Stakes | Desert Flower (IRE) 2yo - 1/1 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| Park Hill Stakes | Nakheel (FR) 3yo - 10/1 | Owen Burrows Jim Crowley |
| Winners Wear Skopes Menswear Handicap | Kildare Legend (IRE) 3yo - 100/30 | James Ferguson Daniel Muscutt |
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 | Faylaq (GB) 8yo - 18/1 | Jim Goldie Amie Waugh |
| Flying Scotsman Stakes | Benevento (IRE) 2yo - 7/1 | Raphael E Freire David Egan |
| Flying Childers Stakes | Aesterius (IRE) 2yo - 7/2 | Archie Watson James Doyle |
| Doncaster Cup | Sweet William (IRE) 5yo - 7/4 | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PJ Towey Construction Handicap | Johan (GB) 7yo - 18/1 | Jack Channon Rossa Ryan |
| Champagne Stakes | Bay City Roller (IRE) 2yo - 9/2 | George Scott Callum Shepherd |
| Portland Heritage Handicap | American Affair (GB) 4yo - 4/1 | Jim Goldie Paul Mulrennan |
| Park Stakes | Kinross (GB) 7yo - 11/4 | Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan |
| St Leger | Jan Brueghel (IRE) 3yo - 11/4 | A P O'Brien Sean Levey |
| Mastiff Manor Handicap | Daysofourlives (IRE) 4yo - 100/30 | Marco Botti Jack Mitchell |
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 | Telemark (IRE) 3yo - 12/1 | Simon & Ed Crisford Harry Davies |
| Betfred 'The Classic Bookmaker' Handicap | Baldomero (IRE) 6yo - 10/1 | Michael Appleby Silvestre De Sousa |
| Sceptre Stakes | Great Generation (IRE) 3yo - 8/1 | Marco Botti Marco Ghiani |
Article Contributor Information
We are blessed with an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to creating and maintaining this Doncaster Cup Preview are at hand, Andy and James. They both work on the Horse racing tips team team looking after the tipsters and managing the tips settlement, whilst also creating and managing all of the horse racing event previews for Flat Racing.
James Banting
Expert Guide
Andy Powell
Expert Guide
