Doncaster Course Guide

Home of the World’s Oldest Classic, Doncaster is one of the historic homes of horse racing. The highlight of the year on the flat is undoubtedly the four-day St Leger Festival in September, where the feature race, the St Leger, first run in 1776, is staged on the Saturday, and the meeting also boasts such prestigious races as the Doncaster Cup, Champagne Stakes, Flying Childers Stakes, May Hill Stakes and Portland Handicap.

Doncaster also stages the first and last turf race meetings of the Flat season; starting with the Lincoln Meeting in March and ending on November Handicap day. In between are a clutch of valuable afternoon and evening fixtures, including the Group 1 Vertem Futurity, run in late October, which is often a strong pointer to the following year’s classics.

Over jumps Doncaster hosts some important fixtures over the winter; the most significant being the Yorkshire Chase in late January and the Grimthorpe Chase in early March.

Flat Racing
Jumps Racing

Left handed, galloping. One of the fairest courses in the country, essentially flat with the exception of a slight uphill gradient about a mile and a quarter from the finish. Races between five furlongs and one mile are run on the straight course, though there is also a round mile start on an off-shoot of the round course. It is a free-draining course, underfoot conditions only occasionally being soft/heavy.

There are not many fairer courses than Doncaster, which is a lovely, virtually flat, galloping track. You do climb briefly, up and over Rose Hill, but, for the most part, it’s beautifully smooth to ride, a good, solid test of a horse. There can be one or two hard-luck stories, especially on the round course, when lots of runners are still in contention late on, and that’s where jockeyship comes in. I liked to be on the stands’ side on the straight course, but either side is fine, just as long as you’re not far off a rail.

View from the saddle: Jason Weaver

Left handed, essentially flat. Extremely well-draining course, with conditions often favouring speedier types despite its galloping nature. Surprisingly for such a galloping track, plenty of chases are well run and this perhaps explains why the casualty figures are so high.

It always pays to sit comfy on a horse at Doncaster, so, ideally, you want one that travels easily for you. If you find yourself pushing along turning into the back straight, you often get further and further behind those going better than you are. That’s especially true when the ground is quick and it’s fair to say you can afford to be a bit more patient when there’s some ease underfoot. It’s quite a tough track for a novice chaser, because a couple of the fences - including the last ditch - can test their jumping.

View from the saddle: Mick Fitzgerald

Doncaster Top Times
Last 5 years

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 78y	Grain D'oudairies (Good)	29 Nov 2024	3m 45.37s
2m 3f 31y	Gentle Frank (Good)	02 Mar 2025	4m 39.7s
2m 4f 115y	Le Chiffre D'or (Good)	09 Dec 2022	5m 0.63s
2m 7f 214y	Annual Invictus (Good)	27 Jan 2024	5m 51.35s
3m 2f 1y	Moroder (Good)	01 Mar 2025	6m 20s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
2m 128y	Epatante (Good)	28 Jan 2023	3m 50.92s
2m 3f 88y	Geromino (Good)	27 Jan 2024	4m 36.1s
2m 4f 181y	Ashington (Good)	14 Mar 2025	4m 56.1s
3m 84y	Maximilian (Good)	28 Jan 2023	5m 44.97s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
1m 5f	Le Fils De Force (Good to Soft)	27 Nov 2021	3m 15.46s
2m 128y	The Procrastinator (Soft)	29 Nov 2025	3m 14.02s

Distance	Horse (Going)	Date	Winning time
5f 3y	Khaadem (Good to Firm)	08 Sep 2021	57.3s
5f 143y	Wentworth Falls (Good to Firm)	08 Sep 2021	1m 5.66s
6f 111y	Carla's Way (Good)	03 Jun 2023	1m 17.26s
7f 6y	Just Beautiful (Good to Firm)	08 Sep 2021	1m 22.75s
1m	First Ruler (Good)	03 Jun 2022	1m 35.81s
1m 2f 43y	Anmaat (Good to Firm)	08 Sep 2021	2m 5.56s
1m 3f 197y	Sweet William (Good to Firm)	07 Jul 2023	2m 29.6s
1m 6f 115y	Free Wind (Good to Firm)	09 Sep 2021	3m 3.75s
2m 109y	Grand Providence (Good to Firm)	07 Jul 2023	3m 33.4s
2m 1f 197y	Sweet William (Good to Soft)	12 Sep 2025	3m 52.24s

Doncaster Top Trainers
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
O Greenall & J Guerriero	24	8	5	£55,575	33.33%	£8.73
A J Honeyball	17	6	6	£185,087	35.29%	£25.25
R Hobson	14	4	6	£93,897	28.57%	£9.13
K C Bailey	12	4	4	£54,060	33.33%	£19.63
N B King	7	4	3	£21,018	57.14%	£11.28
D McCain Jnr	16	3	6	£14,418	18.75%	-£0.25
S England	7	3	3	£26,158	42.86%	£14.50
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	17	3	2	£25,560	17.65%	-£8.00
Miss E C Lavelle	9	3	2	£14,681	33.33%	£3.50
C E Longsdon	18	2	9	£11,460	11.11%	£16.00

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D McCain Jnr	51	9	20	£96,377	17.65%	£105.48
N J Henderson	37	9	18	£79,375	24.32%	-£8.10
B Pauling	37	6	17	£52,640	16.22%	-£24.73
Harry Derham	29	6	13	£28,463	20.69%	-£19.43
O Greenall & J Guerriero	36	5	9	£26,056	13.89%	-£23.56
J Parkinson & S Smith	26	4	13	£17,976	15.38%	-£7.13
Dan Skelton	39	4	12	£22,255	10.26%	-£31.75
N P Mulholland	21	4	9	£18,892	19.05%	£1.83
K C Bailey	12	4	6	£16,772	33.33%	£1.37
T Lacey	12	4	3	£14,913	33.33%	£16.50

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
B Pauling	7	2	3	£5,065	28.57%	-£2.55
Dan Skelton	8	2	2	£4,827	25%	£8.50
A King	7	2	2	£13,841	28.57%	£3.00
Toby Bulgin	3	2	0	£6,372	66.67%	£33.50
Nigel & Willy Twiston-Davies	6	1	3	£2,614	16.67%	£1.50
Jonjo & A J O'Neill	5	1	1	£2,614	20%	-£3.47
N B King	4	1	0	£2,614	25%	£21.00
H Palmer	1	1	0	£2,614	100%	£16.00
P Bowen	1	1	0	£3,921	100%	£6.00
Dr R Newland & J Insole	1	1	0	£2,451	100%	£3.50

Trainer	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
D O'Meara	165	19	51	£164,545	11.52%	-£55.88
K R Burke	110	15	37	£373,617	13.64%	-£42.92
J & T Gosden	81	15	37	£383,886	18.52%	-£12.65
A M Balding	100	15	36	£321,842	15%	-£35.69
W J Haggas	86	14	32	£377,220	16.28%	£30.13
R A Fahey	149	13	44	£97,635	8.72%	-£44.92
R Hannon	98	12	36	£144,267	12.24%	-£36.85
R M Beckett	89	12	36	£233,378	13.48%	-£17.93
R Varian	58	11	24	£162,582	18.97%	-£28.85
K A Ryan	90	10	29	£247,101	11.11%	-£8.17

Doncaster Top Jockeys
Last 3 years (ordered by number of winners)

Chase
Hurdle
National Hunt Flat
Flat

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
J M Quinlan	15	5	8	£25,718	33.33%	£7.03
James Bowen	20	4	5	£60,557	20%	-£5.30
Thomas Bellamy	15	4	4	£29,362	26.67%	£3.00
Ben Godfrey	7	4	2	£77,932	57.14%	£22.38
B S Hughes	29	3	14	£14,259	10.34%	-£18.65
Danny McMenamin	12	3	6	£47,747	25%	£0.66
Henry Brooke	14	3	4	£31,744	21.43%	£0.60
Charlie Maggs	7	3	3	£89,144	42.86%	£14.50
Toby Wynne	8	3	2	£12,437	37.5%	£5.50
Jonathan England	6	3	2	£26,158	50%	£15.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
B S Hughes	59	11	29	£136,701	18.64%	-£5.32
James Bowen	39	11	18	£100,746	28.21%	£0.32
Henry Brooke	29	7	11	£35,034	24.14%	£14.94
Ben Jones	18	5	7	£55,114	27.78%	-£3.95
J M Quinlan	37	4	12	£19,349	10.81%	-£16.47
Thomas Bellamy	27	4	10	£18,230	14.81%	-£16.13
Tom Cannon	22	4	9	£20,736	18.18%	-£5.13
Charlie Maggs	15	4	7	£59,390	26.67%	£38.00
Paul O'Brien	22	3	11	£12,743	13.64%	-£15.88
Kielan Woods	28	3	9	£13,847	10.71%	-£18.50

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Ben Jones	4	2	1	£5,065	50%	£0.45
B S Hughes	7	1	2	£2,614	14.29%	£10.00
Thomas Bellamy	5	1	2	£2,451	20%	-£1.00
Tom Cannon	4	1	2	£2,451	25%	£25.00
Jonjo O'Neill Jr.	4	1	1	£2,614	25%	-£2.47
Tristan Durrell	4	1	1	£2,451	25%	-£0.50
James Turner	3	1	1	£2,614	33.33%	£4.50
J M Quinlan	3	1	0	£2,614	33.33%	£23.00
Danny McMenamin	2	1	0	£3,921	50%	£4.50
Harry Skelton	2	1	0	£2,376	50%	£12.00

Jockey	Runners	Wins	Places	Prize Money	Strike-Rate	P/L
Oisin Murphy	108	20	41	£523,102	18.52%	-£6.96
W Buick	52	14	13	£614,094	26.92%	£30.13
Callum Rodriguez	80	13	33	£108,099	16.25%	£11.54
Rossa Ryan	94	12	28	£315,438	12.77%	-£27.63
James Doyle	59	12	26	£300,998	20.34%	-£12.02
R Havlin	56	12	17	£275,487	21.43%	£11.54
Cieren Fallon	73	11	27	£199,757	15.07%	£19.13
Daniel Muscutt	72	11	26	£76,458	15.28%	£20.33
Tom Marquand	74	11	24	£746,604	14.86%	-£25.38
D Tudhope	91	10	38	£117,885	10.99%	-£62.21