Doncaster Cup

The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 race over two and a quarter miles during the St Leger Festival in September at Doncaster Racecourse.

The Doncaster Cup takes place on Saturday 16th September 2023.

This race takes place on Day 3 of the St Leger Festival along with other races such as The Flying Childers Stakes and Flying Scotsman Stakes.

The Cup is one of the most prestigious staying races of the season and is Doncaster’s oldest surviving race.

Notable past winners include three times winner Double Trigger (1995, 1996, 1998), Persian Punch (2003) and Her Majesty The Queen’s Estimate (2014).

Find out more about the Doncaster Cup:

Race Overview – The Doncaster Cup

The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 flat race for horses aged three and above contested in the United Kingdom. It is held every year in September and is run over a distance of 2 miles, 1 furlong, and 197 yards at Doncaster.

Check out our guides to all the other Group 2 horse races.

Doncaster Cup Odds 2023

Here are the latest odds for the Doncaster Cup in 2023:

• There is no open book of odds in the ante-post market for this event yet

Doncaster Cup Tips 2023

Here are some tips for Doncaster Cup in 2023:

• 2 points to win for TBC at odds of TBC
• 1 point each way for TBC at odds of TBC

Some of the horses in the Doncaster Cup will run in other events later in the year. Stay updated on the horses and place ante-post bets if you want to wager on them.

Doncaster Cup Previous Winners

Doncaster Cup Previous Result

🏆Doncaster Cup Stakes (G2)
3600 m, 130.000 GBP, for 3yo+
🇬🇧 Doncaster

Coltrane (IRE)
(5G Mastercraftsman – Promise Me, by Montjeu)
J :David Probert
T :Andrew Balding
O :Mick and Janice Mariscotti
B :Rockfield Farm
🥈Trueshan
🥉Lismorepic.twitter.com/9yd7aicx5S

— 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 (@WorldRacing1) September 11, 2022

Famous Doncaster Cup Winners

The Doncaster Cup was first run in 1766 and was originally staged over four miles. It was shortened to two miles and five furlongs in 1825 and to its current distance in 1891.

The most notable early winner was Beeswing who won the race a record four times; 1837, 1840, 1841 and 1842. The popular mare won 51 of her 63 career starts including the 1842 Ascot Gold Cup.

Another famous name on the roll of honour is Brown Jack, successful in 1930. He won the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot on a remarkable six occasions.

Sir Henry Cecil enjoyed plenty of success in this race in the late seventies and early eighties. He won it with champion stayers Buckskin (1978), Le Moss (1979, 1980) and Ardross (1982).

The more popular Doncaster Cup winner in modern times was Double Trigger, trained by Mark Johnston. He won it three times between 1995 and 1998 and started a well-backed favourite on each occasion.

The 2004 Doncaster Cup produced a dead-heat between Millenary and Kasthari. Millenary returned to win outright the following season.

Her Majesty The Queen’s Estimate had won the Ascot Gold Cup in 2013 and rewarded her supporters when starting hot favourite for the 2014 Doncaster Cup.

Times Up added his name to the list of dual winners in 2012 and 2013. He was trained by the late John Dunlop to his first victory with son Ed preparing him for a repeat win the following season.

The most recent dual winner was three-times Ascot Gold Cup winner Stradivarius (2019 and 2021). He remained in training as an eight-year-old to target a record-equalling fourth Ascot victory but finished third in a controversial race, sparking a temporary break in the Gosden/Dettori partnership.

Key Doncaster Cup Trials

The most informative trial for the Doncaster Cup in recent years has been the Lonsdale Cup at York. Six of the last twelve winners ran in the Lonsdale on their previous start with three of them winning and two placed.

Most winners had run in either the Ascot Gold Cup or Goodwood Cup earlier in the season.

Other useful form guides include the Irish St Leger Trial and Prix Kergorlay.

Seven of the last twelve winners (2014 to 2020 inclusive) ran in the British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot in October. Only Sheikhzayedroad (2016) managed to win the Ascot race while Thomas Hobson (2018) and Stradivarius (2019) finished second.

Other possible targets include the Prix du Cadran at Longchamp in which Stradivarius also finished runner-up in 2021.

Doncaster Cup Betting Trends

There has been no age bias in the Doncaster Cup with a wide range of winners from three to ten.

Persian Punch (2003) won as a ten-year-old. Millenary (2005) and Thomas Hobson (2018) were successful as eight-year-olds. It is rare for three-year-olds to win the Doncaster Cup, Desert Skyline (2017) being the most recent to so.

Only Alleluia in 2001 and Saddler’s Rock in 2011 had managed to do so since Weld in 1989.

Favourites have a tremendous recent record in the Doncaster Cup. They won all five renewals from 2017 to 2021 and seven of the last eight. Stradivarius was a 1-9 favourite when landing the odds in 2019 and was 4-11 for his second success two years’ later. Other well-backed winning favourites include Estimate (2014), Thomas Hobson (2018) and Spanish Mission (2020).

Shock results are extremely rare with most winners being from the first three in the Doncaster Cup betting. Petrizzo (1986) looked to have pulled off a major shock but was disqualified in favour of the well-supported Longboat after a stewards’ enquiry.

Eleven of the last twelve Doncaster Cup winners had raced within the previous month.

Previous winning form in a Group race and at least one victory over two miles are other key factors.

An official rating of 107 or higher is usually required to win this race. Only Saddler’s Rock (2011) fell below this mark in recent years with a rating of 101.

The highest officially rated winner was Stradivarius on 121 in both 2019 and 2021.

Doncaster Cup – Top Trainers and Jockeys

The late Sir Henry Cecil drew level with Cecil Boyd-Rochfort on seven Doncaster Cup winners when Canon Can won in 1997. Cecil’s previous winners included Buckskin (1978), Le Moss (1979, 1980) and Ardross (1982).

Aidan O’Brien won the race for the first time with Septimus in 2007 and followed up in 2008 with Honolulu. He has not trained the winner since but his retained rider Ryan Moore has been the man to follow in the Doncaster Cup in recent times. He has won it four times; Askar Tau (2009), Times Up (2013), Estimate (2014) and Thomas Hobson (2018).

Moore is four winners adrift of Joe Mercer who won it a record eight times between 1953 and 1980.

Best Doncaster Cup Betting Sites

The Doncaster Cup is one of the highlights of the St Leger Festival and has been voted one of the favourites in recent seasons.

This race has featured some very popular and well-known horses in its time, for example, Stradavarius winning the 2021 and 2019 races.

Here are the best Doncaster Cup betting sites offering free bets or great existing customer promotions:

• bet365 St. Leger Festival Free Bets
• William Hill St Leger offer, bet 10 get 30 in free bets
• BetVictor promotion of bet £10 get £40 free bets on Doncaster Cup Race
• bet365 ITV free bet promo
• Betfred bet £10 get £60 in betting bonuses is a popular 2023 St Leger Festival

Check out our guide if you are wanting to research all the best UK horse racing betting sites in 2023.

All of the above sites made our current list of the best horse betting sites around.

Summary of Doncaster Cup

We hoped you enjoyed our guide to the Doncaster Cup.

The race is one of the most prestigious staying races of the flat year.

It has been won by many greats over the years, including one of our favourites – Double Trigger!

Resources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doncaster_Cup

2023 Doncaster St Leger Festival Posts

Here are all the related articles to the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2023:

If you do choose to bet, please bet responsibly.

Related September Articles