• The St Leger was originally held over two miles

• Aidan O’Brien has trained six St Leger winners thus far

• The Great Voltigeur Stakes gives the best pointers to the St Leger

The St Leger has been won by some legendary horses through the decades and jubilant crowds descend upon Doncaster’s Town Moor to see a little piece of horse racing history every September.

Find our 2023 St Leger tips here!

The Doncaster St Leger Festival itself is one of the most prestigious race weeks of the British horse racing calendar and a fitting end to the Classic season.

St Leger History

The St Leger stakes is the oldest and final classic of the annual flat racing calendar.

The race is held at Doncaster Racecourse - one of the oldest courses in Britain. There are records of horse race meetings going back to the 16th century at the Yorkshire venue.

Held originally over 2 miles, the contest is now run over a slightly shorter 1 mile, 6f, 132 yards. The race was the brainchild of Lieutenant Colonel Anthony St Leger in 1776, a successful Irish soldier who later became Governor of St Lucia.

Held on 24th September of that year, the race was open to three-year-old horses, and was won by Allabaculia whose connections paid 25 guineas to enter.

The St Leger itself is the final leg of the colts’ and fillies Triple Crown. Any star three-year-old begins their Triple Crown quest with the Guineas in May, before heading to Epsom for the Derby or the Oaks.

If any manages to scoop those two wonderful races, they then arrive at Doncaster in September for a chance of making history. The races that make up the Triple Crown are very popular with lots of horse racing tips.

The St Leger is a gruelling test of stamina and pitches the two sexes in together, with Nijinsky being the UK’s last Triple Crown winner all the way back to 1970.

Quite often the St Leger is bypassed in favour of running in alternative races such as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe or the Breeders’ Cup Turf Classic.

St Leger Trends

The Great Voltigeur Stakes at York has become the most significant St Leger trial in the last twenty years or so.

Eight of the last eighteen winners raced in it. Rule Of Law (2004), Lucarno (2007) and Logician (2019) did the Great Voltigeur/St Leger double.

The Gordon Stakes at Goodwood is another St Leger barometer with its winners going onto Doncaster glory including Millenary (2000), Sixties Icon (2006) and Conduit (2008).

• Age: Three-year-olds only.

• Starting price: 4/10 winners have been favourites/joint favourites, 6/10 have come from the top three in the race horse betting.

• Last Outing: 6/10 winners won on their last run before the St Leger, 10/10 winners at least placed in the top three on their last run before the St Leger.

• Previous Distance Form: 7/10 winners had at least one previous run over 1m5f or further, 6/10 winners had at least one win to their name over 1m5f or further.

• Rating: 9/10 winners were rated 110 or higher.

• Group Form: 8/10 winners had a least one previous win in a Group 1-3 race.

• Season Form: 10/10 winners had at least three runs that season with 8/10 having at least four runs that season. 10/10 winners had at least one victory that season with 8/10 winners having two wins or more.

Fate Of St Leger Favourites

Favourites have performed well in the St Leger over the past ten years. Logician, a 5/6 favourite, broke the record by winning the race in 3 minutes and 0.27 seconds in 2019.

Four favourites have won in the past ten years – Logician 2019, Capri 2017, Kingston Hill 2014 and Leading Light in 2013. Kew Gardens in 2018 was the 3/1 second favourite and last year’s winner – Galileo Chrome was the 4/1 third-favourite.

The biggest outsider to score from the live betting in recent years was Harbour Law, who won at 22/1 in 2016. The 25/1 longshot Encke secured victory in 2012, denying 2/5 favourite Camelot the Triple Crown.

Previous St Leger Winners

• 2020: Galileo Chrome (Tom Marquand/Joseph O'Brien) 

• 2019: Logician (Frankie Dettori/John Gosden)

• 2018: Kew Gardens (Ryan Moore/Aidan O'Brien)

• 2017: Capri (Ryan Moore/Aidan O'Brien)

• 2016: Harbour Law (George Baker/Laura Mongan)

• 2015: Simple Verse (Andrea Atzeni/Ralph Beckett)

• 2014: Kingston Hill (Andrea Atzeni/Roger Varian) 

• 2013: Leading Light (Joseph O'Brien/Aidan O'Brien) 

• 2012: Encke (Mickael Barzalona/Mahmood Al Zarooni) 

• 2011: Masked Marvel (William Buick/John Gosden)

Most Successful St Leger Jockeys

The most successful St Leger jockey of all time is Bill Scott with nine wins – Jack Spigot (1821), Memnon (1825), The Colonel (1828), Rowton (1829), Don John (1838), Charles The Twelfth (1839), Launcelot (1840), Satirist (1841) and Sir Tatton Sykes (1846).

Lester Piggott and John Jackson rode eight St Leger winners apiece and are the joint second most successful jockeys in the race.

Of the current riders today, Frankie Dettori is the leading jockey with six wins (Classic Cliche 1995, Shantou 1996, Scorpion 2005, Sixties Icon 2006, Conduit 2008 and Logician 2019).

Dettori’s weighing room colleagues Ryan Moore, William Buick and Andrea Atzeni all have a couple of Leger wins apiece.

Most Successful Trainer In St Leger History

John Scott leads this St Leger record with 16 wins.

His winners were Matilda (1827), The Colonel (1828), Rowton (1829), Margrave (1832), Touchstone (1834), Don John (1838), Charles The Twelfth (1839), Launcelot (1840), Satirist (1841), The Baron (1845), Newminster (1851), West Australian (1853), Warlock (1856), Imperieuse (1857), Gamester (1859) and The Marquis (1862).

Other leading St Leger trainers have been Mathew Dawson, John Porter, Cecil Boyd-Rochfort and Dick Hern, who all trained six winners.

As of 2020, Aidan O’Brien currently sits on six winners and could well surpass that figure in the coming seasons.

St Leger Prize Money

The St Leger Festival will enjoy a £250,000 increase in prize-money across the board in 2021, with the St Leger itself returning to the 2019 prize-money level of £700,000.

The biggest races, including the St Leger, will be broadcast by ITV Racing. Keep your eyes peeled for all the latest ITV Racing tips on our 888sport blog.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Len Puttnam / AP Photo / Staff*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 31st August 2021

• Be Friendly won the inaugural running of the Sprint Cup in 1966
• The race was awarded Group 1 status in 1988
• John Dunlop is the most successful trainer in the history of the race

The first Saturday in September traditionally sees the Sprint Cup being run at Haydock Park, a race that features some of the fastest horses in Europe.

The race regularly attracts top sprinters with form in the July Cup, Commonwealth Cup and Diamond Jubilee Stakes, so it worth studying the results from those.

Be Friendly won the inaugural running of the race in 1966 and there is a statue in his memory right next to the paddock at the Lancashire track. Be Friendly registered back-to-back victories in 1966 and 1967 and is the only horse ever to do so thus far.

The Sprint Cup is steeped in history with Champions including classic sprinters such as the late Sir Peter O’Sullevan’s Be Friendly, Danehill and G-Force, and three times winning jockeys Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery and Willie Carson.

The fixture is usually covered by one of the terrestrial TV channels in the UK, so keep your eyes peeled for any ITV Racing tips that we post on this blog.

Sprint Cup History

The Sprint Cup has always had big names associated with it, starting with Robert Sangster who devised the race in 1966.

The Vernon Pools magnet later became a successful racehorse owner and breeder himself and many older punters still refer to the race as the Vernons Sprint.

A Group 1 contest since 1988, the race is run over Haydock Park’s six furlongs straight course. Horses must be three years old or older to enter the biggest flat race of the season at the North West venue.

As we eluded to in the introduction, other famous names are Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery and Willie Carson, all of whom have won the race three times, but let’s not forget the equine stars.

One such horse was Regal Parade. Bought by trainer Dandy Nicholls for £16,000 as a three-year-old after being classed as “temperamental”, he won the 2009 renewal of the Sprint Cup and, overall, earned more than £500,000 in prize money for his connections.

In 2013 Gordon Lord Byron, who cost just 2,000 Euros, won his second Group 1 by landing this Haydock races prize, the first Irish-trained winner for over 40 years.

When Harry Angel won in 2018, he became the fourth successive three-year-old to land the race in what was a hot spell for that age bracket.

Haydock Sprint Cup Trends

• Recent winners of the Sprint Cup have raced three or more times in the current season and are popular choices in the horse racing tips.
• Previous successes in one or more races at Group 1 to 3 level have been essential to finding the winner here.
• Three-year-olds won this race for four successive seasons from 2014 to 2017. Hello Youmzain (2019) was also from this age group.
• Six-year-olds The Tin Man (2018) and Dream Of Dreams (2020) have broken up the recent dominance of the youngsters over the last decade.
• An official rating of 114 or higher is the usual requirement for success in this race.
• Most winners have won several times at six furlongs and course form is a key factor. Over half of recent winners had raced at Haydock before with a third of them winning at the track.
• High numbers have a slight draw advantage at Haydock, particularly in large fields when the going is soft or heavy.

Key Sprint Cup Statistics

• Starting Price: 5 of the last 10 winners were favourites/joint favourites, 7/10 winners came from the top three in the in play betting (pre-off).
• Last Run: 3 of the last 10 winners won on their last run before arriving at Haydock. 10/10 winners had their last run within the last 56 days.
• 3/10 winners ran in the July Cup (Newmarket) on their last run, 1 of the 3 won, 2 placed.
• 2/10 winners ran in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (Deauville) last time out, 0 of the 2 won, 1 placed.
• Previous Course Form: 8/10 winners had at least 1 previous run at Haydock, 4/10 winners had at least one previous victory at the venue.
• Rating: 10/10 winners had a rating of 111 or higher.
• Group Wins: 9/10 winners had at least 1 win in a Group race.

Haydock Sprint Cup Winners List

• 2020: Dream of Dreams (IRE) Oisin Murphy/Sir Michael Stoute
• 2019: Hello Youmzain (FR) James Doyle/Kevin Ryan
• 2018: The Tin Man (GB) Oisin Murphy/James Fanshawe
• 2017: Harry Angel (IRE) Adam Kirby/Clive Cox
• 2016: Quiet Reflection (GB) Dougie Costello/Karl Burke
• 2015: Twilight Son (GB) Fergus Sweeney/Henry Candy
• 2014: G Force (IRE) Daniel Tudhope/David O’Meara
• 2013: Gordon Lord Byron (IRE) Johnny Murtagh/Tom Hogan
• 2012: Society Rock (IRE) Kieren Fallon/James Fanshawe
• 2011: Dream Ahead (USA) William Buick/David Simcock

Most Successful Haydock Sprint Cup Jockeys

No jockey has won this race more than three times. That feat is shared by Lester Piggott, Pat Eddery, Willie Carson and Bruce Raymond.

Current jockey Oisin Murphy is hot on their tails with two victories, those being The Tin Man and Dream Of Dreams. Murphy is always a popular jockey in the horse racing betting wherever he rides.

Most Successful Trainer In Sprint Cup History

John Dunlop is the most successful trainer in the history of the race with four winners. He saddled Runnett (1981), Habibti (1983), Lavinia Fontana (1994) and Invincible Spirit (2002).

Newmarket Trainer James Fanshawe often targets this race. He has taken the race twice in the last decade with Society Rock (2012) and The Tin Man (2018).

Sheikh Mohammed recorded a record fourth win in the race when Goodricke took the 2005 race. His Godolphin operation has also claimed the prize with Diktat (1999) and Harry Angel (2017).

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Charlie Riedel / AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 31st August 2021

• Serena Williams has won the most singles Grand Slams in the Open Era with 23 titles
• As of August 2021, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are tied on 20 singles Slams
• Read below for the complete list of the most Grand Slams won in tennis history

The ATP and WTA tours are a constant cycle. It is a grind for most players, a treadmill of worldwide travel and regular events. The highlight of that marathon is when tennis betting turns to the Grand Slams.

Melbourne, Paris, London and New York each have their fortnight. A couple of weeks when dreams are realised, and history is made.

A place in the sport’s history is forever guaranteed with a Grand Slam win on the grass of Wimbledon, the red clay of Roland Garros or in front of the bellowing atmospheres in Flushing Meadows and Melbourne Park.

The whole perception of a player in tennis betting tips can swing with a Slam triumph.

It is the ultimate goal for a professional tennis player, and has long been a bargaining chip in discussions about the best tennis players of all-time.

Comparing Slam tallies is often the final matchup when weighing up Roger Federer versus Novak Djokovic or John McEnroe versus Jimmy Connors.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the most successful players in the Open Era.

Most Men’s Grand Slam Titles

The Big Three have changed the game. Not only dominating for 15-plus years, they have rewritten the sport’s record books. Previous all-time greats have seen their biggest achievements dwarfed by the accolades of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, who are in a three-way tie on 20 Grand Slams apiece. 
Federer overtook Pete Sampras when he won at Wimbledon in 2009. It was an historic moment in the history of men’s tennis, but Sampras has since been left long behind by the dominant trio. 
While they have each completed the career Slam, there are obvious associations. Djokovic is the most successful of all-time in Melbourne. Federer has that honour at Wimbledon, and Nadal has been unbeatable at Roland Garros. It’s perhaps unsurprising then, that the US Open has been the best opportunity for other players to lift a Slam trophy over the last 15 years. 
Since 2009, five non-big-three players have won the US. Stan Wawrinka is the only man to break up the Big Three since 2005 at the Australian and French. Andy Murray, who spent many years on a par with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, is the only other player to win at Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt’s title in 2002. 
The achievements of Sampras, Bjorn Borg and others shouldn’t be overshadowed. It is unprecedented to have a trio as far ahead of the pack as Federer, Djokovic and Nadal have been, but Sampras’ play at Wimbledon, and the peak of Borg on the clay and grass, was every bit as scintillating. 
Further down the list, Rod Laver’s five titles might seem unspectacular, but he won six before the Open Era, too. He’s the only player to hold all four Slams in one calendar year (1969). 
Andre Agassi had his fair share of heart break and didn’t dominate a single Slam in the same way as others, but he’s the only player other than Laver, Federer, Djokovic and Nadal to win all four Slams throughout his career. 
•    Roger Federer – 20
•    Novak Djokovic – 20 
•    Rafael Nadal – 20 
•    Pete Sampras – 14 
•    Bjorn Borg – 11
•    Andre Agassi – 8 
•    Ivan Lendl – 8 
•    Jimmy Connors – 8 
•    Mats Wilander – 7 
•    John McEnroe – 7 
•    Boris Becker – 6 
•    Stefan Edberg – 6 
•    John Newcombe – 5 
•    Rod Laver – 5 
•    Jim Courier – 4 
•    Guillermo Vilas – 4 
•    Ken Rosewall – 4 
•    Stan Wawrinka – 3 
•    Andy Murray – 3 
•    Gustavo Kuerten – 3 
•    Jan Kodes – 3 
•    Arthur Ashe – 3

Most Women’s Grand Slam Titles

Overtaking Steffi Graf at the Australian Open in 2017, Serena Williams is the most successful tennis player of all-time. Combining unbeatable peak performance with remarkable longevity, Serena has spent the best part of two decades at the centre of tennis predictions since winning her first Slam in 1999. 
Lifting the Wimbledon trophy and Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup seven times apiece, Serena has excelled on every surface. The clay has been considered a weak spot, yet she has still reached four finals (and won three of them). 
It was always going to take something spectacular for anyone to reach Steffi Graf’s tally. The German won at least one Slam for 10 straight seasons, which peaked with winning all four Slams in 1988. Graf still has an array of records to her name, including four ‘Surface Slams’. Serena and Martina Navratilova are the only other players to complete that feat (winning a Slam on each surface in a calendar year). 
Graf arrived on the scene just as Chris Evert and Navratilova’s rivalry was coming to an end. The pair had dominated the sport through the late 1970s and 1980s, including a period of 16 straight Grand Slams shared between them from the start of 1982 through to the 1985 US Open. 
While Graf was the premier force in the 1990s, she fiercely duelled with Monica Seles, who won seven of nine Slams from 1991 to the start of 1993. A terrifying on-court attack disrupted her career, however, meaning she retired two Slams shy of Margaret Court’s 11. 
No player in the 21st century has been able to keep pace with Serena. Venus, her sister, had spells at number one and amassed seven Slams, and Maria Sharapova is one of five women to complete a Career Slam, but neither could match Serena long-term. 
Still only 23 years old, Naomi Osaka is in the process of succeeding Serena as the face of tennis. Already with four slam titles to her name, it’s not premature to call Osaka a modern great. It remains to be seen how much further she can climb this list. 
•    Serena Williams – 23 
•    Steffi Graf – 22 
•    Martina Navratilova – 18 
•    Chris Evert – 18 
•    Margaret Court – 11 
•    Monica Seles – 9 
•    Billie Jean King – 8
•    Venus Williams – 7
•    Justine Henin – 7 
•    Evonne Goolagong – 7 
•    Maria Sharapova – 5 
•    Martina Hingis – 5 
•    Naomi Osaka – 4 
•    Kim Clijsters – 4
•    Arantxa Sánchez Vicario – 4 
•    Hana Mandlíková – 4 
•    Virginia Wade – 3 
•    Lindsay Davenport – 3 
•    Jennifer Capriati – 3

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Julio Cortez, File / AP Photo*