The Doncaster Mile is a listed race for four-year-olds and upwards at the opening meeting of the turf flat season.
The Doncaster Mile Stakes takes place on the 23rd of March 2024.
It takes place in late March or early April and is often the starting point for horses expected to be competitive in Group races during the summer.
Notable past winners include Sublimity (2004), Belardo (2016) and Zabeel Prince (2018).
Find out more about the Doncaster Mile:
Contents
- 1 Overview – Doncaster Mile
- 2 Doncaster Mile Stakes Previous Winners
- 3 Doncaster Mile Stakes Previous Result
- 4 Famous Doncaster Mile Winners
- 5 Key Doncaster Mile Trials
- 6 Doncaster Mile Betting Trends
- 7 Doncaster Mile – Top Trainers and Jockeys
- 8 Betting on the Doncaster Mile
- 9 Summary of the Doncaster Mile Stakes
- 10 Other March Related Articles
Overview – Doncaster Mile
Horses must be at least four years old to compete in the Listed Doncaster Mile Stakes.
It is scheduled to take place every year in late March or early April and is run over a distance of one mile (1,609 metres) at Doncaster Racecourse.
It presently takes place at the same race meeting as the Lincoln Handicap on the first day of the British flat racing turf season.
Check out our Doncaster horse racing betting tips page if you are looking for more racing tips for events at Doncaster.
For all Doncaster races, our finest racing tipsters give free horse racing tips!
Doncaster Mile Stakes Previous Winners
Here are the previous winners for the Doncaster Mile Stakes.
| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Gabrial | 4 | Kieren Fallon | Richard Fahey |
| 2014 | Graphic | 5 | Seb Sanders | William Haggas |
| 2015 | Tullius | 7 | Jimmy Fortune | Andrew Balding |
| 2016 | Belardo | 4 | James Doyle | Roger Varian |
| 2017 | Kool Kompany | 5 | Ryan Moore | Richard Hannon Jr. |
| 2018 | Zabeel Prince | 5 | Andrea Atzeni | Roger Varian |
| 2019 | Sharja Bridge | 5 | Andrea Atzeni | Roger Varian |
| no race 2020 [b] | ||||
| 2021 | Top Rank | 5 | P. J. McDonald | James Tate |
| 2022 | Chindit | 4 | Rossa Ryan | Richard Hannon Jr. |
| 2023 | Astral Beau | 4 | Rob Hornby | Pam Sly |
Doncaster Mile Stakes Previous Result
Check out the latest result from this race:
Famous Doncaster Mile Winners
The Doncaster Mile usually attracts a mixture of horses who perhaps dipped below top level the previous season and those who are graduating from handicaps. Vague Shot (1988) and Mellottie (1993) certainly fell into the second category having scored in the Royal Hunt Cup and Cambridgeshire Handicap respectively.
Dandoun won it in 2002 and 2003 for Trainer John Dunlop before Sir Michael Stoute struck with Sublimity in 2004. He was sold to go over hurdles in Ireland the following season. He won the 2007 Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham as a 16-1 outsider, beating Brave Inca by three lengths.
The race produced a thrilling dead-heat in 2006 between Clive Brittain’s Kandidate and Andrew Balding’s Vanderlin. In 2016 the race was won by the Roger Varian-trained Belardo, ridden by James Doyle. He had won the 2014 Dewhurst Stakes but failed to live up to expectations as a three-year-old. A second place in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot had convinced connections to keep him in training. After his Doncaster victory he finished a disappointing fourth at Sandown but bounced back to win the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury. He was retired after chasing home Tepin in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot,
Key Doncaster Mile Trials
The Doncaster Mile can sometimes be on the agenda for horses who have been successful in big handicaps the previous season. Winners of The Lincoln Handicap, Royal Hunt Cup and Cambridgeshire have all competed in this race in the past.
The Bet365 Mile at Sandown is a possible target for winners with races like the Lockinge and Queen Anne later in the summer.
Doncaster Mile Betting Trends
Five of the last ten favourites have won the Doncaster Mile; Tullius (2015) 1-2, Belardo (2016) 8-13, Zabeel Prince (2018) 10-11, Sharja Bridge (2019) 8-13 and Chindit (2022) 8-13. The longest-priced winner during that period was Kool Kompany at 701 in 2017.
An official rating of 111 or higher is usually required to win this race.
Nine of the last ten winners were rated between 111 and 116.
The only winner to fall below that mark was Tullius (2015) who was rated 106.
Doncaster Mile – Top Trainers and Jockeys
John Dunlop’s three winners in the race was matched by Andrew Balding; Vanderlin (2016), Banknote (2007) and Tullius (2015). More recently, Roger Varian has been the trainer to follow. He won it with Belardo (2016), Zabeel Prince (2018) and Sharja Bridge (2019).
Jockey Darryll Holland won it on White Heart (1999), Banknote (2007) and Fanunalter (2010).
Betting on the Doncaster Mile
The Doncaster Mile usually attracts a small but select field. Any entries from the Roger Varian stable will be worth noting and the market has been an accurate guide to the outcome in recent years.
Summary of the Doncaster Mile Stakes
Thank you for reading our Doncaster Mile Stakes guide.
We have looked at stats, history, betting tips and more, so you have all the information you need whether placing a bet or watching the race.
