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2027 St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Preview
Introduced in 2009, this Class Two handicap is run during the St Leger Festival at Doncaster in September of each year. The race is run over six and a half furlongs and has been open to runners aged four or older since 2022, having previously allowed three-year-olds.
Older sprinters at a price
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Information:
- St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Past Winners
- St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
- St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
To see which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are tipping throughout the card that includes this race, head over to the Doncaster tips on the day of the race. Do they agree with the runners on the trend shortlist, or are they predicting other runners? You may also be interested in other preview blogs that we have packed full of information. Head down to the Other Principal races during the Doncaster St Leger Festival section for links to these.
Best Horse Racing Betting Sites 2026 (UKGC Regulated)
How competitive is the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 16 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2017, when the race had an over-round of 112%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 135%, whilst on average over the last 16 renewals of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap, the over-round has been 120%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £120 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Trends. See which patterns have occurred over the recent renewals that you may be able to use for the next renewal. We also have a section that looks at the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap races over the last 16 renewals:
- Blue Brother (1:16.41) in 2026
- Badr Al Badoor (1:16.62) in 2014
- Hoof It (1:16.72) in 2015
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 16 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap next time out, then you would have backed a total of 2 winners. Backing all 15 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -6.75. Remember to use the racing predictions along with the information on this page to find a bet on the 2027 St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap.
The runner that holds the record over the past 16 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2013 renewal when Sir Reginald from Richard Fahey under the guidance of Paul Hanagan, won in a time of 1:20.73, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Blue Brother, trained by Hamad Al Jehani and ridden by Callum Rodriguez set the quickest time of 1:16.41 in the 2026 renewal.
St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Past Winners
Here are the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap past winners for the last 10 renewals. Each row details the race year, the winning horse, and the horse's age & weight. Also detailed are the stall from which the horse came and the total number of runners in the race. The horse's trainer and the jockey at the time of winning the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 1:16.41 | Blue Brother (FR) 5yo 9-5 (11 of 13) 5/2F | Callum Rodriguez Hamad Al Jehani (GB) |
| 2025 1:17.58 | Desert Falcon (IRE) 5yo 8-9 (8 of 13) 9/1 | Rowan Scott Julie Camacho (GB) |
| 2024 1:19.92 | Baldomero (IRE) 6yo 8-6 (9 of 9) 10/1 | Silvestre De Sousa Michael Appleby (GB) |
| 2023 1:19.15 | Baradar (IRE) 5yo 9-9 (12 of 12) 100/30F | William Buick George Boughey (GB) |
| 2022 1:18.73 | Asjad (GB) 4yo 9-5 (8 of 13) 7/1 | P J McDonald James Horton (GB) |
| 2021 1:19.60 | Able Kane (GB) 4yo 8-11 (4 of 12) 9/2 | Oisin Murphy Rod Millman (GB) |
| 2020 1:18.52 | Tranchee (IRE) 4yo 8-8 (4 of 11) 7/2 | Ray Dawson (5lbs) David Loughnane (GB) |
| 2019 1:18.09 | Enjazaat (GB) 4yo 9-8 (7 of 8) 6/1 | Jim Crowley Owen Burrows (GB) |
| 2018 1:18.91 | Von Blucher (IRE) 5yo 8-8 (10 of 9) 25/1 | Cam Hardie Rebecca Menzies (GB) |
| 2017 1:18.23 | Amazour (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (4 of 7) 9/2 | James Doyle Ismail Mohammed (GB) |
St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Trainer Statistics
Here are some of the top St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap trainer statistics over the last 16 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Trainer | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Camacho | 9-1-5 | +1.00 | +15.01 |
| Richard Fahey | 7-1-1 | +4.00 | +3.25 |
| George Boughey | 7-1-1 | -2.67 | -3.92 |
| Michael Appleby | 4-1-2 | +7.00 | +3.72 |
| Nigel Tinkler | 4-1-3 | -0.25 | +1.35 |
| William Haggas | 3-1-1 | +7.00 | +4.63 |
| James Fanshawe | 3-1-2 | +3.00 | +4.00 |
| Rod Millman | 3-1-1 | +2.50 | +0.81 |
| Dean Ivory | 2-1-1 | +11.00 | +7.50 |
| James Horton | 2-1-1 | +6.00 | +3.38 |
St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Jockey Statistics
Here are some of the top St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap jockey statistics over the last 16 renewals (R = Runners, W = Winners, P = Places including winners, Win LSP is based on 1pt Win and EW LSP is based on 0.5pt Win & 0.5pt Place):
| Jockey | R-W-P | Win | EW |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Buick | 10-1-3 | -5.67 | -2.32 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 6-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.00 |
| P J McDonald | 6-1-2 | +2.00 | +2.16 |
| Oisin Murphy | 4-1-1 | +1.50 | +0.81 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 4-1-2 | -0.25 | -0.60 |
| Rowan Scott | 3-1-1 | +7.00 | +3.63 |
| James Doyle | 2-1-1 | +3.50 | +2.81 |
| Cam Hardie | 1-1-1 | +25.00 | +15.00 |
| Adam Beschizza | 1-1-1 | +9.00 | +5.63 |
| Tom Queally | 1-1-1 | +5.00 | +3.00 |
2027 St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 6, 6, 2, 2, 2, (1, 4), 2, (5, 9), 6, 3, 11, 11, (1, 9), 7, 2, (1, 4)
The percentage shown is the proportion of runners who fell under that factor. High percentages are less appealing than lower ones, as you would expect them to do well.
- 16 / 16 (64%) - Had 2 - 5 wins (Further)
- 16 / 16 (73%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 16 / 16 (74%) - Beaten no more -8¾l (LTO)
- 16 / 16 (79%) - Achieved a TS of 45+ (LTO)
- 16 / 16 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 76+ (LTO)
- 16 / 16 (86%) - Highest Run is not G3
- 16 / 16 (86%) - Ran in 7 - 48 races (Career)
- 16 / 16 (86%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 16 / 16 (87%) - Had 4 - 22 placings (Career)
- 16 / 16 (88%) - Had 2 - 8 wins (Career)
- 16 / 16 (88%) - Not in BHR/IRL/QAT/SCO/UAE/WAL (Last Win)
- 16 / 16 (89%) - Achieved an RPR of 92+ (Season)
- 16 / 16 (89%) - Achieved a TS of 79+ (Hcps)
- 16 / 16 (89%) - Not BR/GR/RO in colour
- 16 / 16 (89%) - Ran in 2 - 42 races (Hcps)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Doncaster racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap. Did you know that we have an OLBG Betting School section on OLBG? It is a place to help you improve your betting experience with articles covering numerous topics.
Are you already a member? If not, then why not? With over £6,000 given away each month in the tipster competition, why not get involved? Remember, it is completely FREE! So, head over to the registration page to sign up today! If you are already a member, then share your thoughts on the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap by adding a tip on the race here.
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2027 St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually made 48 hours before the race.
St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 8+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +13.58, is when runners had 0 career starts over the trip.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a field of 8 on debut; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-29.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 11 (8,12) [13 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 8 (5,1) [13 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 9 (6,8) [9 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 12 (11,10) [12 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 8 (1,7) [13 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap is Ascot; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Ascot last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 15 winners from a total of 175 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 8 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, there is only one stallion whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap; that stallion, Acclamation, has produced 2 winners (2019,2014).
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap despite multiple attempts:
- Invincible Spirit (0 Wins from 8 runners)
- Shamardal (0 Wins from 7 runners)
- Lethal Force (0 Wins from 6 runners)
- Dark Angel (0 Wins from 5 runners)
- Pivotal (0 Wins from 5 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 16 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Von Blucher in 2018, winning for Rebecca Menzies at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Cam Hardie. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 16 renewals, there have been 3 winning favourites in the race. Remember to bookmark the best racing tipsters page so you can get easy access to the best OLBG racing tipsters.
Route to the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap
Many trainers target races as preparation for the St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Blue Brother York - 5th of 14 (8/1) | Clipper Handicap |
| 2025 - Desert Falcon Thirsk - 3rd of 13 (5/2) | William Hill Price Boosts Handicap |
| 2024 - Baldomero Goodwood - 4th of 7 (15/2) | William Hill First Race Special Today Handicap |
| 2023 - Baradar Ascot - 1st of 25 (16/1) | International Stakes Heritage Handicap |
| 2022 - Asjad Ascot - 16th of 21 (41/1) | International Stakes Heritage Handicap |
| 2021 - Able Kane Goodwood - 2nd of 9 (2/1) | tote.co.uk Handicap |
| 2020 - Tranchee Haydock - 2nd of 10 (10/3) | Betfair Exchange Setting Odds Racing TV Handicap |
| 2019 - Enjazaat Newmarket (July) - 7th of 10 (12/1) | Price Bailey Chartered Accountants Hopeful Stakes |
| 2018 - Von Blucher Redcar - 5th of 9 (7/1) | Racing UK Straight Mile Series Handicap |
| 2017 - Amazour Newcastle (AW) - 7th of 13 (9/2) | Betfred "Celebrating 50 Years Of Success" Handicap |
Principal races during the Doncaster St Leger Festival
Here is the schedule for the four-day St Leger Festival races, which we cover with blogs. Each race will be linked to the race blog and will detail last year's winner in the table below.
Thursday at St Leger Festival
There are a couple of Group 2s which take centre stage on the opening day of the St Leger Festival: the May Hill Stakes, where the two-year-olds feature and then the Park Hill Fillies Stakes, where the older fillies compete. We also have the 2-y-o Stakes, a valuable Class Two race.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Carrie Red Fillies Nursery | Speed Of Sound (IRE) 2yo - 7/4 | Richard Spencer Saffie Osborne |
| Doncaster 2yo Stakes | Night In Vegas (IRE) 2yo - 5/6 | Eve Johnson Houghton Charles Bishop |
| May Hill Stakes | Musical Times (IRE) 2yo - 7/4 | Charlie Appleby William Buick |
| Park Hill Stakes | Waardah (IRE) 4yo - 5/2 | Owen Burrows Callum Rodriguez |
| St Leger Festival Middle Distance Handicap | Devils Peak (GB) 3yo - 15/8 | John & Thady Gosden William Buick |
Friday at St Leger Festival
On Friday, the feature race of the day is the Group 2 Doncaster Cup, which is part of the British Champion Series. The Flying Childers Stakes is another race on Friday, which carries a decent purse on offer for the two-year-olds.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Doncaster Cup | Caballo De Mar (IRE) 5yo - 5/6 | George Scott Oisin Murphy |
| Flying Childers Stakes | Final Objective (IRE) 2yo - 9/4 | Hamad Al Jehani James Doyle |
| Flying Scotsman Stakes | Forbidden Fire (GB) 2yo - 9/2 | Andrew Balding Oisin Murphy |
Saturday at St Leger Festival
The feature race of the festival, the Group 1 St Leger, takes place on Saturday, another race which is part of the British Champion Series. The three races before the St Leger all carry decent purses too: the Champagne Stakes, the Portland and the Park Stakes.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| Champagne Stakes | Desert Castle (GB) 2yo - 1/1 | Charlie Appleby Billy Loughnane |
| Park Stakes | More Thunder (IRE) 5yo - 4/5 | William Haggas Tom Marquand |
| Portland Heritage Handicap | Air Force One (IRE) 5yo - 11/2 | Geoff Oldroyd Clifford Lee |
| St Leger | Highwayman (FR) 3yo - 11/1 | Joseph Patrick O'Brien Saffie Osborne |
| St Leger Festival Mile Handicap | Scoville (GB) 4yo - 5/1 | William Haggas Daniel Tudhope |
| St Leger Festival Ten Furlong Handicap | Thunder Run (IRE) 5yo - 11/4 | K R Burke Clifford Lee |
Sunday at St Leger Festival
Sunday is a bit more low-key, with only one class one race, which is the Sceptre Stakes for the fillies over 7f, and there are also some decent handicaps carrying good purses.
| Race | Last Winner | Info |
|---|---|---|
| City of Doncaster Handicap | Inishbeg (IRE) 3yo - 33/1 | Kevin Ryan Jack Nicholls |
| Mallard Handicap | Valedictory (GB) 4yo - 7/4 | John & Thady Gosden Robert Havlin |
| Sceptre Stakes | Pina Sonata (GB) 4yo - 12/1 | James Fanshawe Daniel Muscutt |
| St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap | Blue Brother (FR) 5yo - 5/2 | Hamad Al Jehani Callum Rodriguez |
Article Contributor Information
We are fortunate to have an excellent team of specialists and experts at OLBG. Contributing to the creation and maintenance of this St Leger Festival Sprint Handicap Preview are Andy and James. They both work on the Horse Racing Tips team, overseeing the tipsters and managing the tip settlement, while also creating and managing all the horse racing event previews for Flat racing.
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