Betfred St Leger
Group 1, Doncaster 16:50
£700,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m 6f 115y, Class 1   
Saturday 13th September 2025

Fresh off his Goodwood Cup triumph, Scandinavia now heads a 26-strong entry for the Betfred St Leger at Doncaster on September 13 – and if the wind stays in his sails, he could yet be the one to catch in the final Classic of the season.

Aidan O’Brien, as ever, looms large, fielding a potential cavalry charge of 11, including Lambourn, his dual Derby winner, and Whirl, who sparkled over 10 furlongs in the Nassau at Goodwood. But it was Scandinavia, a colt ignored by Ryan Moore in favour of Illinois, who quietly announced himself with a composed staying performance on the Sussex Downs.

The Ballydoyle brigade reads like a roll call – Galveston, Minnie Hauk, Mount Kilimanjaro, Shackleton, Stay True – all possible players, all proven Group-race horses. But it’s Scandinavia, the late-blooming Justify colt, who has emerged from the shadows to take centre stage.

Elsewhere, Paddy Twomey’s Carmers – Queen’s Vase winner and a possible for the Great Voltigeur or Vinnie Roe – is being carefully plotted. “We’ll see which race looks more suitable,” said Twomey, keeping his cards close.

Lazy Griff, runner-up in both the English and Irish Derbys, is entered by Charlie Johnston and must be respected, while Tennessee Stud and Arabian Force add further intrigue.

Notably absent is Merchant, impressive in the Gordon Stakes but not among the entries for William Haggas – a decision that may well raise eyebrows come September.

FormRatings

Betfred St Leger Stakes
£700,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 6f 115y, Class 1
26 entries
Going:

NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 72100 Al Wasl Storm 3 9-3 Owen Burrows
2 61172 Arabian Force 3 9-3 William Haggas
3 111 Carmers 3 9-3 P Twomey
4 3-1284 Daiquiri Bay 3 9-3 Alan King
5 2-1525 Furthur 3 9-3 Andrew Balding
6 1-7137 Galveston 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
7 5-2111 Lambourn 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
8 31-223 Lazy Griff 3 9-3 Charlie Johnston
9 312-31 Mount Kilimanjaro 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
10 3-1382 Nightime Dancer 3 9-3 Richard Hannon
11 51-481 Pinhole 3 9-3 Ralph Beckett
12 421611 Pole Star 3 9-3 Charlie Johnston
13 14-419 Puppet Master 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
14 1-221 Push The Limit 3 9-3 Ralph Beckett
15 122234 Rahiebb 3 9-3 Roger Varian
16 3- Saratoga 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
17 7-1511 Scandinavia 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
18 3-4482 Shackleton 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
19 12 Stay True 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
20 3121 Tarriance 3 9-3 Andrew Balding
21 21-334 Tennessee Stud 3 9-3 Joseph O'Brien
22 14-617 Thrice 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
23 253422 Wimbledon Hawkeye 3 9-3 James Owen
24 21-111 Minnie Hauk 3 9-0 A P O'Brien
25 2-3181 Qilin Queen 3 9-0 Ed Walker
26 -61211 Whirl 3 9-0 A P O'Brien

ST LEGER ROLL OF HONOUR (1946- )
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP Ran

2024 JAN BRUEGHEL
2023 CONTINUOUS
2022 ELDAR ELDAROV
2021 HURRICANE LANE
2020 GALILEO CHROME
2019 LOGICIAN
2018 KEW GARDENS
2017 CAPRI
2016 HARBOUR LAW Mrs LJ Mongan George Baker Mrs Jackie Cornwell 22/1 8
2015 SIMPLE VERSE Ralph Beckett Andrea Atzeni QRL/Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani/M Al Kubaisi 8/1 7
2014 KINGSTON HILL Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni Paul Smith 9/4F 12
2013 LEADING LIGHT Aidan O’Brien Joseph O’Brien Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 7/2F 11
2012 ENCKE Mahmood Al Zarooni Mickael Barzalona Godolphin 25/1 9
2011 MASKED MARVEL John Gosden William Buick Bjorn Nielsen 15/2 9
2010 ARCTIC COSMOS John Gosden William Buick Rachel Hood & Robin Geffen 12/1 10
2009 MASTERY Saeed bin Suroor Ted Durcan Godolphin 14/1 8
2008 CONDUIT Sir Michael Stoute Frankie Dettori Ballymacoll Stud 8/1 14
2007 LUCARNO John Gosden Jimmy Fortune George Strawbridge 7/2 10
2006** SIXTIES ICON Jeremy Noseda Frankie Dettori Susan Roy 11/8F 11
2005 SCORPION Aidan O’Brien IRE Frankie Dettori Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 10/11F 6
2004 RULE OF LAW Saeed bin Suroor Kerrin McEvoy Godolphin 3/1JF 9
2003 BRIAN BORU Aidan O’Brien IRE Jamie Spencer Sue Magnier 5/4F 12
2002 BOLLIN ERIC Tim Easterby Kevin Darley Sir Neil & Lady Westbrook 7/1 8
2001 MILAN Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 13/8F 10
2000 MILLENARY John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 11/4F 11
1999 MUTAFAWEQ Saeed bin Suroor Richard Hills Godolphin 11/2 9
1998 NEDAWI Saeed bin Suroor John Reid Godolphin 5/2F 9
1997 SILVER PATRIARCH John Dunlop Pat Eddery Peter Winfield 5/4F 10
1996 SHANTOU John Gosden Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 8/1 11
1995 CLASSIC CLICHE Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 100/30F 10
1994 MOONAX Barry Hills Pat Eddery Sheikh Mohammed 40/1 8
1993 BOB'S RETURN Mark Tompkins Philip Robinson Jackie Smith 3/1F 9
1992 USER FRIENDLY Clive Brittain George Duffield Bill Gredley 7/4F 7
1991 TOULON Andre Fabre FR Pat Eddery Khalid Abdullah 5/2F 10
1990 SNURGE Paul Cole Richard Quinn Martyn Arbib 7/2 8
1989* MICHELOZZO Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Charles St George 6/4F 8
1988 MINSTER SON Neil Graham Willie Carson Lady Beaverbrook 15/2 6
1987 REFERENCE POINT Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Louis Freedman 4/11F 7
1986 MOON MADNESS John Dunlop Pat Eddery Duchess of Norfolk 9/2 8
1985 OH SO SHARP Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Sheikh Mohammed 8/11F 6
1984 COMMANCHE RUN Luca Cumani Lester Piggott Ivan Allan 7/4F 11
1983 SUN PRINCESS Dick Hern Willie Carson Sir Michael Sobell 11/8F 10
1982 TOUCHING WOOD Tom Jones Paul Cook Maktoum Al Maktoum 7/1 15
1981 CUT ABOVE Dick Hern Joe Mercer Sir John Astor 28/1 7
1980 LIGHT CAVALRY Henry Cecil Joe Mercer Jim Joel 3/1 7
1979 SON OF LOVE Robert Collet FR Alain Lequeux A Rolland 20/1 17
1978 JULIO MARINER Clive Brittain Edward Hide Marcos Lemos 28/1 14
1977 DUNFERMLINE Dick Hern Willie Carson The Queen 10/1 13
1976 CROW Angel Penna FR Yves Saint-Martin Daniel Wildenstein 6/1CF 15
1975 BRUNI Ryan Price Tony Murray Charles St George 9/1 12
1974 BUSTINO Dick Hern Joe Mercer Lady Beaverbrook 11/10F 10
1973 PELEID Bill Elsey Frankie Durr Bill Behrens 28/1 13
1972 BOUCHER Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Ogden Phipps 3/1 7
1971 ATHENS WOOD Tom Jones Lester Piggott Mrs John Rogerson 5/2 8
1970 NIJINSKY Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 2/7F 9
1969 INTERMEZZO Harry Wragg Ron Hutchinson Gerry Oldham 7/1 11
1968 RIBERO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 100/30 8
1967 RIBOCCO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 7/2 9
1966 SODIUM George Todd Frankie Durr R J Sigita 7/1 9
1965 PROVOKE Dick Hern Joe Mercer John Astor 28/1 11
1964 INDIANA Jack Watts Jimmy Lindley Charles Engelhard 100/7 15
1963 RAGUSA Paddy Prendergast IRE Garnet Bougoure Jim Mullion 2/5F 7
1962 HETHERSETT Dick Hern Harry Carr Major Lionel Holliday 100/8 15
1961 AURELIUS Noel Murless Lester Piggott Mrs V Lilley 9/2 13
1960 ST PADDY Noel Murless Lester Piggott Sir Victor Sassoon 4/6F 9
1959 CANTELO Charles Elsey Edward Hide William Hill 100/7 11
1958 ALCIDE Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Sir Humphrey de Trafford 4/9F 8
1957 BALLYMOSS Vincent O’Brien IRE T P Burns Jock McShain 8/1 16
1956 CAMBREMER George Bridgland FR Freddie Palmer R B Strassburger 8/1 13
1955 MELD Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Lady Zia Wernher 10/11F 8
1954 NEVER SAY DIE Joe Lawson Charlie Smirke Robert Sterling Clark 100/30 16
1953 PREMONITION Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Eph Smith W P Wyatt 10/1 11
1952 TULYAR Marcus Marsh Charlie Smirke H H Aga Khan III 10/11F 12
1951 TALMA II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 7/1 18
1950 SCRATCH II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 9/2 15
1949 RIDGE WOOD Noel Murless Michael Beary G R H Smith 100/7 16
1948 BLACK TARQUIN Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Edgar Britt W Woodward 15/2 14
1947 SAYAJIRAO Fred Armstrong Edgar Britt Maharaja Of Baroda 9/2 11
1946 AIRBOURNE Dick Perryman Tommy Lowrey Jock Ferguson 3/1 11
* Run at Ayr
** Run at York