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 St Leger Preview
Britain's oldest 'classic', the St Leger, was first run in 1776 and is recognised as the last leg of the 'Triple Crown' comprising the 2000 Guineas and Epsom Derby. Camelot in 2012 nearly became the first horse since Nijinsky in 1970 to complete the set, having won the 2000 Guineas and Derby, but had to settle for a runners-up finish here behind Encke.
Although Camelot nearly accomplished the Triple Crown in 2012, it is now generally very seldom a target for the season's early classic winners. From a breeder's point of view, St Leger winners going on to stallion duties may not have too much influence when it comes to breeding 'speed' and tend to become more prominent sires on the National Hunt scene. Recent examples would be Aidan O'Brien's Milan in 2001 and Brian Boru in 2003, both of which have sired numerous National Hunt winners.
The St Leger is not only the oldest classic but also the longest in distance, running over one mile and six and a half furlongs and is open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It has been won by some true legends of the turf down the years. Never Say Die completed the Epsom Derby and St Leger double in 1954 and, in the process, recorded the still-standing longest-winning St Leger margin of 12 lengths.
St Paddy in 1960 was the first of Lester Piggott's eight St Leger victories, which also included the last triple-crown winner Nijinsky in 1970. Lester recorded his final St Leger victory on Commanche Run for Luca Cumani, 24 years after his first success.
Other equine greats to grace the St Leger winners' enclosure include Bustino (1974), Her Majesty's Dunfermline under Willie Carson in 1977, the brilliant filly Oh So Sharp for Steve Cauthen and Sir Henry Cecil in 1984, Henry's Reference Point, the last Epsom Derby winner to complete the double in 1987 and another top female, User Friendly in 1992.
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Andy Powell - Horse Racing Betting Expert - OLBG.com
St Leger Information:
We also have a dedicated Doncaster tips page that will cover this race, as well as all the other races on the day. See which runners the OLBG racing tipsters are predicting to win this race and the others on the cards. 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 market? When looking at the over-rounds for the last 20 renewals, the most competitive market was in 2024, when the race had an over-round of 111%. The race in 2012 was a race that was most in the bookie's favour with an over-round of 127%, whilst on average over the last 20 renewals of the St Leger, the over-round has been 117%, which means the bookie expects to pay out £100 for every £117 which is bet.
Below you will find the 2027 St Leger 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 Trend Analysis.
These are the top three quickest-run St Leger races over the last 20 renewals:
- Logician (3:00.27) in 2019
- Masked Marvel (3:00.44) in 2011
- Lucarno (3:01.90) in 2007
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 St Leger next time out, then you would have backed a total of 4 winners. Backing all 18 runners who have been out since their win at SP next time out would have returned an LSP of -4.32. Ahead of the 2027 St Leger, why not head over to the racing predictions for tips on other races today?
When looking over the past 20 renewals, a time of 3:00.27 was set by Logician in 2019, trained by John Gosden and ridden by Frankie Dettori, which is the quickest time over that period. The slowest winning time was set in 2013 when Leading Light won in a time of 3:09.20 for trainer A P O'Brien, who booked Joseph O'Brien in the saddle.
St Leger Past Winners
Here are the St Leger 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 are also displayed, along with the starting price at which the horse was sent off.
| Year | Horse (Drawn) | Info |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 3:03.33 | Highwayman (FR) 3yo 9-3 (7 of 11) 11/1 | Saffie Osborne Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2025 3:04.63 | Scandinavia (USA) 3yo 9-3 (7 of 7) 2/1F | Tom Marquand A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2024 3:04.52 | Jan Brueghel (IRE) 3yo 9-3 (4 of 7) 11/4F | Sean Levey A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2023 3:06.95 | Continuous (JPN) 3yo 9-3 (2 of 9) 3/1 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2022 3:08.39 | Eldar Eldarov (GB) 3yo 9-3 (5 of 9) 9/2 | David Egan Roger Varian (GB) |
| 2021 3:04.28 | Hurricane Lane (IRE) 3yo 9-1 (4 of 10) 8/11F | William Buick Charlie Appleby (GB) |
| 2020 3:01.94 | Galileo Chrome (IRE) 3yo 9-1 (12 of 11) 4/1 | Tom Marquand Joseph Patrick O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2019 3:00.27 | Logician (GB) 3yo 9-1 (4 of 8) 5/6F | Frankie Dettori John Gosden (GB) |
| 2018 3:03.34 | Kew Gardens (IRE) 3yo 9-1 (8 of 12) 3/1 | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
| 2017 3:04.04 | Capri (IRE) 3yo 9-1 (9 of 11) 3/1F | Ryan Moore A P O'Brien (IRE) |
Where have the winning runners come from?
Here are the countries where the winning trainers of the St Leger have been based:
- GB: 12 winners with an additional 24 placings from 121 runners
- IRE: 8 winners with an additional 13 placings from 72 runners
- FR: 0 winners with an additional 0 placings from 1 runner
2026 St Leger Replay
St Leger Trainer Statistics
The leading trainer in the St Leger over the last 20 renewals is A P O'Brien, who has won the race six times, with those six winners coming from Leading Light (2013), Capri (2017), Kew Gardens (2018), Continuous (2023), Jan Brueghel (2024) and Scandinavia (2025). Other trainers who have recorded multiple wins in the St Leger are John Gosden (4 wins), Joseph Patrick O'Brien (2 wins) and Roger Varian (2 wins). One trainer has not had the best of times in the St Leger; Andrew Balding has sent a total of 14 runners to the race without recording a win.
Here are some of the top St Leger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A P O'Brien | 57-6-16 | -33.75 | -25.74 |
| John Gosden | 17-4-8 | +10.83 | +5.57 |
| Joseph Patrick O'Brien | 4-2-3 | +13.00 | +7.75 |
| Roger Varian | 4-2-3 | +4.75 | +4.30 |
| Sir Michael Stoute | 9-1-4 | +0.00 | -0.45 |
| Ralph Beckett | 6-1-3 | +3.00 | +2.17 |
| Charlie Appleby | 6-1-2 | -4.27 | -3.92 |
| Saeed bin Suroor | 4-1-2 | +11.00 | +6.12 |
| Laura Mongan | 1-1-1 | +22.00 | +13.20 |
| Andrew Balding | 14-0-1 | -14.00 | -11.90 |
St Leger Jockey Statistics
Two jockeys have led the St Leger over the last 20 renewals, with both William Buick and Ryan Moore winning the race three times. William Buick's winners have been Arctic Cosmos (2010), Masked Marvel (2011) and Hurricane Lane (2021). Ryan Moore winners have been with Capri (2017), Kew Gardens (2018) and Continuous (2023). Other jockeys who have recorded multiple wins in the St Leger are Andrea Atzeni (2 wins) and Tom Marquand (2 wins).
Here are some of the top St Leger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Buick | 9-3-5 | +14.23 | +7.93 |
| Ryan Moore | 8-3-3 | +4.00 | +0.40 |
| Andrea Atzeni | 6-2-4 | +6.25 | +8.95 |
| Tom Marquand | 5-2-4 | +3.00 | +4.45 |
| Sean Levey | 5-1-1 | -1.25 | -2.28 |
| Mickael Barzalona | 3-1-1 | +23.00 | +13.00 |
| Saffie Osborne | 1-1-1 | +11.00 | +6.60 |
| David Egan | 1-1-1 | +4.50 | +2.70 |
| Wayne Lordan | 6-0-4 | -6.00 | +1.14 |
| James Doyle | 6-0-2 | -6.00 | -4.00 |
2027 St Leger Trends
Favourites' finishing positions (oldest to latest): 3, 7, 2, 6, 3, 2, 1, 1, (2, 4), UR, 1, 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 2, (1, 2), 1, 9
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 (64%) - Had 2 - 5 wins (1 Year)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - Beaten no more -5¼l (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (75%) - No bigger than 25/1
- 20 / 20 (77%) - Achieved an RPR of 103+ (LTO)
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Highest Won is not Cl2/Cl5-6
- 20 / 20 (78%) - Not in a Cl2/Cl5-6 (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (79%) - Achieved an RPR of 93+ (Last Win)
- 20 / 20 (81%) - Placed within last 2 starts
- 20 / 20 (82%) - Break of 14 - 98 days (Last Place)
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Won within last 4 starts
- 20 / 20 (84%) - Within the first 8 of the market
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Highest Placed is not Cl2-5
- 20 / 20 (85%) - Furthest Placed 1m4f - 2m
- 20 / 20 (87%) - Held an OR of 101+
- 20 / 20 (89%) - Not in a Cl2-5 (LTO)
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. 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 by adding a tip on the race here.
101 Ways to find Winners in Horse Racing
2027 St Leger Runners & Shortlist
The runners and the final trends shortlist for the 2027 renewal of the St Leger will be added once the final declarations are confirmed, which are usually 48 hours before the race.
St Leger Trend Analysis
✅ The trend factor, which has produced 10+ winners and shows the best LSP, an LSP of +24.98, is when runners had 2 places in the past 90 days.
❌ The worst-performing factor that has failed to produce a single winner is when runners had 1 win in the past year; when backing these, the trend shows a record of 0-57.
Here are the most recent winning draws, along with the further placings in brackets:
- 2026: Winner in 7 (9,6) [11 Runners]
- 2025: Winner in 7 (2) [7 Runners]
- 2024: Winner in 4 (7) [7 Runners]
- 2023: Winner in 2 (6,1) [9 Runners]
- 2022: Winner in 5 (4,2) [9 Runners]
The course which has produced the most winners of the St Leger is York; there have been a total of 6 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 5 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 179 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 St Leger:
- Galileo (3 Wins)
- Frankel (2 Wins)
- Montjeu (2 Wins)
These are the stallions whose offspring have not produced a winner of the St Leger despite multiple attempts:
- Camelot (0 Wins from 10 runners)
- Sea The Stars (0 Wins from 8 runners)
Looking at the winning odds over the last 20 renewals, the biggest-priced winner was Encke in 2012, winning for Mahmood Al Zarooni at odds of 25/1 under the guidance of Mickael Barzalona. Looking at the runners at the head of the market over the last 20 renewals, there have been 7 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
Many trainers target races as preparation for the St Leger. These are the races in which the recent winners ran before coming here:
| Info | Last Race |
|---|---|
| 2026 - Highwayman Leopardstown - 1st of 9 (23/1) | Bet With Tote On Racing & Sports Irish EBF Vinnie Roe Stakes |
| 2025 - Scandinavia Goodwood - 1st of 8 (4/1) | Goodwood Cup |
| 2024 - Jan Brueghel Goodwood - 1st of 4 (4/5) | Gordon Stakes |
| 2023 - Continuous York - 1st of 5 (4/1) | Great Voltigeur Stakes |
| 2022 - Eldar Eldarov Longchamp - 4th of 6 (39/10) | Grand Prix de Paris |
| 2021 - Hurricane Lane Longchamp - 1st of 11 (27/10) | Grand Prix de Paris |
| 2020 - Galileo Chrome Navan - 1st of 7 (2/1) | Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes |
| 2019 - Logician York - 1st of 5 (10/11) | Great Voltigeur Stakes |
| 2018 - Kew Gardens York - 3rd of 9 (7/2) | Great Voltigeur Stakes |
| 2017 - Capri Curragh - 1st of 9 (6/1) | Irish Derby |
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 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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