May Hill Stakes
The May Hill Stakes is a Group 2 race for two-year-old fillies at the Doncaster St Leger meeting in September.
The May Hill Stakes is held on Friday 15th September 2023.
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 May Hill Stakes Odds 2023
- 3 May Hill Stakes Tips 2023
- 4 May Hill Stakes Previous Winners
- 5 May Hill Stakes 2022 Result
- 6 Famous May Hill Stakes Winners
- 7 Key May Hill Stakes Trials
- 8 May Hill Stakes Betting Trends
- 9 May Hill Stakes – Top Trainers and Jockeys
- 10 Best May Hill Stakes Betting Sites
- 11 Popular Questions
- 12 Summary of May Hill Stakes
- 13 2023 Doncaster St Leger Festival Posts
- 14 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.
May Hill Stakes Odds 2023
Here are the latest odds for the May Hill Stakes in September 2023:
May Hill Stakes Tips 2023
Here are some tips for May Hill Stakes in September 2023:
- 2 points to win for DANCE IN THE GRASS at odds of 5-4
- 1 point each way for FRANKNESS at odds of 4-1
Some of the horses in the May Hill Stakes 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.
May Hill Stakes Previous Winners
Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Triple First | Greville Starkey | Michael Stoute | |
1977 | Tartan Pimpernel | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | |
1978 | Formulate | Joe Mercer | Henry Cecil | |
1979 | The Dancer | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | |
1980 | Exclusively Raised [a] | Greville Starkey | Michael Stoute | |
1981 | Height of Fashion | Joe Mercer | Dick Hern | |
1982 | Bright Crocus | Lester Piggott | Henry Cecil | |
1983 | Satinette | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | |
1984 | Ever Genial | Lester Piggott | Henry Cecil | |
1985 | Midway Lady | Lester Piggott | Ben Hanbury | 1:38.98 |
1986 | Laluche | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 1:40.42 |
1987 | Intimate Guest | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 1:39.27 |
1988 | Tessla | Michael Roberts | Henry Cecil | 1:39.24 |
1989 | Rafha | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 1:41.85 |
1990 | Majmu | Willie Carson | John Gosden | 1:41.67 |
1991 | Midnight Air | Pat Eddery | Henry Cecil | 1:38.72 |
1992 | Marillette | Pat Eddery | John Gosden | 1:38.56 |
1993 | Hawajiss | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 1:40.61 |
1994 | Mamlakah | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 1:39.59 |
1995 | Solar Crystal | Willie Ryan | Henry Cecil | 1:39.44 |
1996 | Reams of Verse | Pat Eddery | Henry Cecil | 1:38.87 |
1997 | Midnight Line | Kieren Fallon | Henry Cecil | 1:37.49 |
1998 | Calando | Frankie Dettori | David Loder | 1:41.37 |
1999 | Teggiano | Frankie Dettori | Clive Brittain | 1:40.01 |
2000 | Karasta | Johnny Murtagh | Sir Michael Stoute | 1:37.95 |
2001 | Half Glance | Richard Quinn | Henry Cecil | 1:42.64 |
2002 | Summitville | Micky Fenton | James Given | 1:38.48 |
2003 | Kinnaird | Kevin Darley | Patrick Haslam | 1:40.66 |
2004 | Playful Act | Jimmy Fortune | John Gosden | 1:35.40 |
2005 | Nasheej | Richard Hughes | Richard Hannon Sr. | 1:36.67 |
2006 | Simply Perfect [b] | Darryll Holland | Jeremy Noseda | 1:39.24 |
2007 | Spacious | Jamie Spencer | James Fanshawe | 1:37.58 |
2008 | Rainbow View | Jimmy Fortune | John Gosden | 1:42.42 |
2009 | Pollenator | Ryan Moore | Richard Hannon Sr. | 1:37.93 |
2010 | White Moonstone | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 1:38.73 |
2011 | Lyric of Light | Frankie Dettori | Mahmood Al Zarooni | 1:38.39 |
2012 | Certify | Mickael Barzalona | Mahmood Al Zarooni | 1:38.92 |
2013 | Ihtimal | Silvestre de Sousa | Saeed bin Suroor | 1:43.30 |
2014 | Agnes Stewart | Billy Lee | Edward Lynam | 1:37.20 |
2015 | Turret Rocks | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger | 1:36.82 |
2016 | Rich Legacy | Oisin Murphy | Ralph Beckett | 1:41.24 |
2017 | Laurens | P. J. McDonald | Karl Burke | 1:40.06 |
2018 | Fleeting | Donnacha O'Brien | Aidan O'Brien | 1:38.71 |
2019 | Powerful Breeze | James Doyle | Hugo Palmer | 1:39.31 |
2020 | Indigo Girl | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 1:38.84 |
2021 | Inspiral | Frankie Dettori | John and Thady Gosden | 1:37.47 |
2022 | Polly Pott | Daniel Tudhope | Harry Dunlop | 1:38.34 |
May Hill Stakes 2022 Result
🏆May Hill Stakes (G3)
1610m, 120.000 GBP, for 2yo fillies
🇬🇧DoncasterPolly Pott (GB)
(Muhaarar – Must Be Me, by Trade Fair)
J : Daniel Tudhope
T :Harry Dunlop
O :The Megsons
B :Biddestone Stud Ltdpic.twitter.com/RuoPX1kpAu— 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 (@WorldRacing1) September 8, 2022
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).
Best May Hill Stakes Betting Sites
Here are the most popular free bets for May Hill Stakes betting:
The May Hill Stakes is a highlight of the St Leger Festival and has been voted one of the top races in recent seasons.
This race has featured some very talented horses in its time, for example, Inspiral winning the 2021 race with Frankie Dettori.
Here are the best May Hill Stakes betting sites offering free bets or great existing customer promotions:
- bet365 St. Leger Festival Free Betting
- Bet 10 get 30 in free bets William Hill St Leger offer
- BetVictor promo £10 get £40 free bets on May Hill Stakes Race
- bet365 ITV free bet promo
- Betfred bet £10 get £60 in betting bonuses is a popular 2023 St Leger Festival
All of the above sites made our current list of the best horse betting websites around.
Popular Questions
How Can I Watch The May Hill Stakes Race?
The best places to watch the May Hill Stakes Race are:
- ITV Racing
- Sky Sports Racing
- Bet365 Live Streaming
- Bookmakers with Live Streaming
As the May Hill Stakes Race is broadcasted on ITV television the ITV Racing bet365 free bet promotion is going to be many of the horse racing punters’ number one betting offer for existing customers.
If you are abroad and looking to watch the race check out our guide on where to watch the horse racing events.
With ITV Racing featuring the Doncaster St Leger Festival races, the May Hill Stakes Race will be watched by millions live on television.
What Are the Important Facts About The May Hill Stakes Race?
Here are interesting facts about the May Hill Stakes:
The May Hill Stakes is run at Doncaster Racecourse, South Yorkshire, England
The May Hill Stakes prize money is £68,052
The May Hill Stakes is for horses aged 2 only
The May Hill Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain
The May Hill Stakes distance is 1 mile
The May Hill Stakes is held on the 2nd day of Doncaster’s four-day St. Leger Festival
The May Hill Stakes is run on the same day as the Park Hill Stakes
Where is the May Hill Stakes held?
The May Hill Stakes is held at Doncaster Racecourse.
When is the May Hill Stakes due to take place?
The May Hill Stakes is due to take place every year in September.
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.
2023 Doncaster St Leger Festival Posts
Here are all the related articles to the Doncaster St Leger Festival 2023:
- bet365 St Leger Festival
- Champagne Stakes
- Doncaster Cup
- Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 1
- Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 2
- Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 3
- Doncaster St Leger Festival Day 4
- Flying Childers Stakes
- Flying Scotsman Stakes
- May Hill Stakes
- Park Hill Stakes
- Park Stakes
- Sceptre Stakes
- St Leger
- St Leger Festival
- St Leger Festival Betting Sites
If you do choose to bet, please bet responsibly.
- Arran Scottish Fillies' Sprint Stakes
- Ascendant Stakes
- Atalanta Stakes
- Ayr Gold Cup
- Beresford Stakes
- Blandford Stakes
- Blenheim Stakes
- Bold Lad Handicap
- Cambridgeshire Handicap
- Champagne Stakes
- Cheveley Park Stakes
- Clipper Boomerang Mile
- Denny Cordell Lavarack Fillies Stakes
- Diamond Stakes
- Dick Poole Stakes
- Doncaster Cup
- Doonside Cup
- Dubai Duty Free Cup
- Firth of Clyde Stakes
- Flying Childers Stakes
- Flying Five Stakes
- Flying Scotsman Stakes
- Fortune Stakes
- Foundation Stakes
- Garrowby Stakes
- Godolphin Stakes
- Harry Rosebery Stakes
- Haydock Sprint Cup
- Haynes, Hanson and Clark Conditions Stakes
- Horse Racing In September
- Irish Champion Stakes
- Irish St Leger
- Jockey Club Rose Bowl
- Joe McGrath Handicap
- Joel Stakes
- John Musker Fillies' Stakes
- Juvenile Turf Stakes
- KPMG Enterprise Stakes
- Legacy Cup
- Listowel Printing Works Handicap
- Listowel Stakes
- Loughbrown Stakes
- Martin Molony Stakes
- Matron Stakes
- May Hill Stakes
- Middle Park Stakes
- Mill Reef Stakes
- Moyglare Stud Stakes
- Navigation Stakes
- Northfields Handicap
- Oyster Stakes
- Park Hill Stakes
- Park Stakes
- Petingo Handicap
- Portland Handicap
- Princess Royal Stakes
- Renaissance Stakes
- Rockfel Stakes
- Rosemary Stakes
- Royal Lodge Stakes
- Scarbrough Stakes
- Sceptre Stakes
- September Stakes
- Silken Glider Stakes
- Sirenia Stakes
- Solario Stakes
- Sovereign Path Handicap
- St Leger
- Stand Cup
- Stonehenge Stakes
- Superior Mile
- Tattersalls Stakes
- Testimonial Stakes
- Vincent O'Brien National Stakes
- Weld Park Stakes
- World Trophy