British Racecourse review The May Hill Stakes, a Group 2 race for two-year-old fillies at the Doncaster St Leger meeting in September.

This race takes place on Day 2 of the St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse, typically a fantastic Ladies’ Day.

Other popular races take place on Day 2 of the meeting such as the Park Hill Stakes.

It is over a mile and can have a big impact on the ante-post betting for the 1000 Guineas and Oaks.

Numerous top-class winners have emerged from this race including Midway Lady (1985), Reams of Verse (1996), Laurens (2017) and Inspiral (2021).

Find out more about the May Hill Stakes:

Contents

1 Race Overview – May Hill Stakes
2 Famous May Hill Stakes Winners
3 Key May Hill Stakes Trials
4 May Hill Stakes Betting Trends
5 May Hill Stakes – Top Trainers and Jockeys
6 Popular Questions
7 Summary of May Hill Stakes
8 2025 Doncaster St Leger Festival Posts
9 Related September Articles

Race Overview – May Hill Stakes

The May Hill Stakes is a two-year-old fillies’ flat race in the United Kingdom held every year in September, it takes place on a one-mile course at Doncaster.

Our special horse racing tipsters provide fantastic horse event tips for today for all Doncaster racing events!

Famous May Hill Stakes Winners

The May Hill Stakes was first run in 1976 with victory going to Triple First, trained by Michael Stoute and ridden by Greville Starkey.

Her Majesty The Queen enjoyed success here with Tartan Pimpernel (1977) and Height of Fashion (1981), two of four winners for trainer Dick Hern in a seven-year period.

Height of Fashion won the Princess of Wales’s Stakes but proved to be one of the most successful broodmares of modern times. Her offspring included 2000 Guineas and Derby winner Nashwan, Unfuwain and Nayef.

Hern’s record was soon surpassed by Sir Henry Cecil who dominated the May Hill Stakes throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. His run of success included five wins in six years, highlighted by Rafha in 1989. She won the Lingfield Oaks Trial before taking the French Oaks. The race had produced a dual Classic winner in Midway Lady in 1985. She won the 1000 Guineas and the Epsom Oaks and would also be a successful broodmare, her offspring including Oaks winner Eswarah.

Cecil’s Reams of Verse (1996) also won the Fillies’ Mile that season and the Epsom Oaks as a three-year-old. Clive Brittain’s Teggiano (1999) also won the Fillies’ Mile, as did John Gosden’s Rainbow View in 2008. The latter was slightly disappointing in her Classic season but she did win the Matron Stakes before enjoying some success in America as a four-year-old.

Godolphin won the race for four successive seasons from 2010 to 2013.

Saeed bin Suroor trained White Moonstone (2010) and Ihtimal (2013) while Lyric of Light (2011) and Certify (2012) were in the care of Mahmood Al Zarooni.

Laurens (2017) went on to become a very popular filly, winning the French Oaks, Matron Stakes and Sun Chariot Stakes in 2018. She also won the Prix Rothschild in 2019.

Key May Hill Stakes Trials

Three of the last twelve May Hill Stakes winners had previously won the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket. They were the Godolphin-owned trio of White Moonstone (2010), Certify (2012) and Ihtimal (2013).

The Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket is almost an automatic choice for the next race for winners here. Only two of the last ten winners did not go for that race. Five of them won the Fillies’ Mile; White Moonstone (2010), Lyric of Light (2011), Certify (2012), Laurens (2017) and Inspiral (2021).

May Hill Stakes Betting Trends

There have been five winning favourites in the last twelve runnings of the May Hill Stakes. White Moonstone (2010) was 8-11, Certify (2012) 4-6 and Ihtimal (2013) 11-10. Laurens (2017) returned 11-4 favourite and Inspiral (2021) won at the prohibitive odds of 2-9.

There have also been five winning second favourites with only two horses winning from outside the market leaders. They were Lyric of Light at 9-1 in 2011 and Fleeting at 12-1 in 2018.

Only four of the twelve had official ratings and all were between 101 and 106.

Three of the twelve fillies had at least one previous victory in a Group 1 to 3 race. All twelve winners had won at least once and nine of the twelve had raced at least twice that season.

May Hill Stakes – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Sir Henry Cecil leads the trainer stats for the May Hill Stakes by some way with a remarkable twelve winners; Formulate (1978), Bright Crocus (1982), Ever Genial (1984), Laluche (1986), Intimate Guest (1987), Tessla (1988), Rafha (1989), Midnight Air (1991), Solar Crystal (1995), Reams of Verse (1996), Midnight Line (1997) and Half Glance (2001).

John Gosden has won it six times in total. His winners were Majmu (1990), Marillette (1992), Playful Act (2004), Rainbow View (2008), Indigo Girl (2020) and Inspiral (2021). The last of those was officially trained by John and Thady Gosden. The filly missed the 1000 Guineas but produced a brilliant win in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Frankie Dettori is the leading rider in the history of the race with six winners; Calando (1998), Teggiano (1999), White Moonstone (2010), Lyric of Light (2011), Indigo Girl (2020) and Inspiral (2021).

Summary of May Hill Stakes

We hope you enjoyed our guide to the May Hill Stakes.

We have looked at the history of the race, the betting, tips and more to give you an overview of this hugely entertaining and informative race that has produced some great winners over the years.

Take a look at other races in September, and if you enjoy races at Lingfield Park then check out more races at Doncaster Racecourse.