You know how punters get lost in too much data or bet blindly? I break down the stats and trends so you can feel confident you’re betting with more than just gut instinct.
2027 Doncaster Cup Preview
Established in 1766, the Doncaster Cup, which was originally called the 'Doncaster Gold Cup', is a Group 2 race that is open to runners aged three or older.
The race is run at the St Leger Festival at Doncaster racecourse in September and is a real stamina tester, being run over just shy of two miles and two furlongs (197y).
Straight out of the Lonsdale Cup
Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
Doncaster Cup Information:
If you are interested in other predictions at Doncaster, then head over to the Doncaster tips page to see which runners are being supported by the OLBG racing tipsters and also compare those predictions to the runners that make the trend shortlist when added below. 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 Doncaster Cup market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2009, when the race had an over-round of 108%. The race in 2019 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 120%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the Doncaster Cup, the over-round has been 113%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £113 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 Doncaster Cup 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 Doncaster Cup Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run Doncaster Cup races over the last 20 renewals:
- Septimus (3:48.41) in 2007
- Pallasator (3:49.60) in 2015
- Saddlers Rock (3:49.83) in 2011
Looking at the future form, is the winner worth following next time out? Over the past 20 renewals, if you had followed the winner of the Doncaster Cup next time out, then you would have backed a total of 3 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -2.60. Whilst we wait for the 2027 Doncaster Cup, remember you can get daily racing predictions from the expert tipsters on the racing predictions page.
The runner that holds the record over the past 20 renewals for the slowest time in the race was set in the 2023 renewal when Trueshan from Alan King under the guidance of Hollie Doyle, won in a time of 4:05.61, whilst at the other end of the spectrum, Septimus, trained by A P O'Brien and ridden by Johnny Murtagh set the quickest time of 3:48.41 in the 2007 renewal.
Doncaster Cup Past Winners
Here are the Doncaster Cup 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 Doncaster Cup are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 3:57.05 | Caballo De Mar (IRE) 5yo 9-12 (6 of 7) 5/6F | Oisin Murphy George Scott (GB) |
| 2025 3:52.24 | Sweet William (IRE) 6yo 9-7 (5 of 8) 10/11F | Robert Havlin John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
| 2024 3:54.17 | Sweet William (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (1 of 6) 7/4F | Robert Havlin John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
| 2023 4:05.61 | Trueshan (FR) 7yo 9-7 (3 of 5) 100/30 | Hollie Doyle Alan King (GB) |
| 2022 4:01.03 | Coltrane (IRE) 5yo 9-7 (6 of 6) 9/1 | David Probert Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2021 3:53.02 | Stradivarius (IRE) 7yo 9-8 (5 of 6) 4/11F | Frankie Dettori John & Thady Gosden (GB) |
| 2020 3:55.84 | Spanish Mission (USA) 4yo 9-5 (2 of 7) 6/4F | William Buick Andrew Balding (GB) |
| 2019 3:59.28 | Stradivarius (IRE) 5yo 9-10 (4 of 5) 1/9F | Frankie Dettori John Gosden (GB) |
| 2018 3:53.17 | Thomas Hobson (GB) 8yo 9-5 (6 of 8) 2/1F | Ryan Moore W P Mullins (IRE) |
| 2017 3:51.88 | Desert Skyline (IRE) 3yo 8-5 (6 of 9) 2/1F | Silvestre De Sousa David Elsworth (GB) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the Doncaster Cup have been based:
- GB: 16 winners with an additional 25 placings from 128 runners
- IRE: 4 winners with an additional 5 placings from 25 runners
- USA: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2026 Doncaster Cup Replay
Doncaster Cup Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the Doncaster Cup over the last 20 renewals is John & Thady Gosden, who have won the race three times, with those three winners coming from Stradivarius (2021) and Sweet William (2024 & 2025). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the Doncaster Cup are Andrew Balding (2 wins), John Gosden (2 wins) and A P O'Brien (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Doncaster Cup trainer statistics over the last 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| John & Thady Gosden | 5-3-4 | +1.02 | +0.74 |
| Andrew Balding | 11-2-4 | +1.50 | +1.22 |
| John Gosden | 4-2-2 | +3.11 | +1.07 |
| A P O'Brien | 4-2-2 | +0.98 | -0.21 |
| Sir Mark Prescott Bt | 11-1-5 | -5.50 | -1.85 |
| W P Mullins | 11-1-5 | -8.00 | -4.00 |
| David Simcock | 8-1-4 | -3.67 | -1.75 |
| Marcus Tregoning | 5-1-1 | -1.50 | -2.44 |
| Ed Dunlop | 4-1-1 | +0.00 | -1.12 |
| Alan King | 3-1-3 | +1.33 | +1.53 |
Doncaster Cup Jockey Statistics
The leading jockey in the Doncaster Cup over the last 20 renewals is Ryan Moore, who has won the race four times, with those four winners coming from Askar Tau (2009), Times Up (2013), Estimate (2014) and Thomas Hobson (2018). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the Doncaster Cup are William Buick (2 wins) and Robert Havlin (2 wins).
Here are some of the top Doncaster Cup jockey statistics over the last 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Moore | 10-4-5 | +2.88 | +0.37 |
| William Buick | 9-2-3 | -0.50 | -1.66 |
| Robert Havlin | 4-2-3 | +0.66 | +0.51 |
| Oisin Murphy | 7-1-2 | -5.17 | -2.98 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 4-1-2 | +1.50 | +1.00 |
| Martin Harley | 4-1-4 | +0.33 | +2.15 |
| Silvestre De Sousa | 4-1-2 | -1.00 | -0.90 |
| Hollie Doyle | 3-1-3 | +1.33 | +1.53 |
| David Probert | 2-1-2 | +8.00 | +5.78 |
| N G McCullagh | 1-1-1 | +5.50 | +3.44 |
2027 Doncaster Cup Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 1, 1, 3, 4, 2, 5, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 5, 1, 1, 1
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.
- 20 / 20 (40%) - Within the first 3 of the market
- 20 / 20 (52%) - No bigger than 9/1
- 20 / 20 (60%) - No bigger than 11/1 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (65%) - Not in a Cl2-4 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (68%) - Ran in a Non Handicap (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (69%) - Highest Placed is not LST/Cl2
- 20 / 20 (75%) - In a field of 4 - 14 (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (76%) - Achieved an RPR of 97+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Won within last 7 starts
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Achieved a TS of 81+ (Last 5)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Highest Run is not G3/Cl2-3
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Achieved a TS of 63+ (Going)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Achieved a TS of 75+ (Last 3)
- 20 / 20 (86%) - Carried 123 - 136lbs (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (88%) - In a field of 8 - 19 (Debut)
Remember to use the trends listed above, along with the Doncaster racing predictions, to see if you can find the winner of the Doncaster Cup. 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 Doncaster Cup by adding a tip on the race here.
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2027 Doncaster Cup Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the Doncaster Cup will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
Doncaster Cup Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +10.32, is when runners were 1st in the betting market.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners ran in a Handicap last time out; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-50.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 6 (8) [7 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 5 (4,2) [8 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 1 (2) [6 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 3 (2) [5 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 6 (5) [6 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the Doncaster Cup is York; there have been a total of 11 winners of this race who ran at York last time out. The next best course, which has produced the second most winners, is Goodwood; there have been a total of 3 winners of this race who ran at Goodwood last time out.
The race is open to both sexes, with male runners having produced a total of 19 winners from a total of 139 runners, while female runners have produced 1 winner from a total of 15 runners.
Looking over the past renewals, these are the stallions whose offspring have produced multiple winners of the Doncaster Cup:
- Sea The Stars (4 Wins)
- Montjeu (2 Wins)
- Olden Times (2 Wins)
- Sadlers Wells (2 Wins)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Coltrane in 2022, winning for Andrew Balding at odds of 9/1 under the guidance of David Probert. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 12 winning favourites in the race. Before placing your bet on the 2027 Doncaster Cup, head over to see which runners the best racing tipsters are tipping today.
Route to the Doncaster Cup
Many trainers target races as preparation for the Doncaster Cup. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Caballo De Mar York - 4th of 8 (7/4) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2025 - Sweet William York - 2nd of 6 (3/1) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2024 - Sweet William Goodwood - 2nd of 6 (11/2) | Goodwood Cup |
| 2023 - Trueshan Ascot - 4th of 6 (1/1) | Longines Sagaro Stakes |
| 2022 - Coltrane York - 2nd of 6 (5/4) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2021 - Stradivarius York - 1st of 4 (4/6) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2020 - Spanish Mission Chester - 1st of 6 (10/11) | Share Shop Chester Stakes |
| 2019 - Stradivarius York - 1st of 4 (4/9) | Lonsdale Cup |
| 2018 - Thomas Hobson Curragh - 5th of 7 (5/1) | Comer Group International Irish St Leger Trial Stakes |
| 2017 - Desert Skyline Deauville - 2nd of 8 (36/5) | Darley Prix Kergorlay |
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 Doncaster Cup 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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