The famous St Leger Festival at Doncaster features the final Classic of the British Flat racing season – the Group 1 St Leger Stakes.
Saturday’s St Leger Day is one of the must-attend UK horse racing fixtures of the year, and punters far and wide will be clambering to have a flutter on the outcome. But where should they invest their money?
Here is your runner-by-runner guide, plus summary, for the St Leger 2025 – with a lucrative prize fund on offer to connections:
Carmers (Paddy Twomey)
The St Leger was immediately considered for Carmers after he extended his unbeaten record at the time, in the Group 2 Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot in June.
Successful on debut in May, Paddy Twomey’s charge followed up in the Listed Yeats Stakes at Navan eight days later, and stepped up to a mile and six furlongs at the Royal meeting.
He lost nothing in defeat in the shorter Great Voltigeur, and is a major player back to this 1m6½f trip.
Furthur (Andrew Balding)
Iverk House’s homebred Furthur is an interesting contender for this Saturday’s St Leger after putting himself in the oldest Classic picture, when making an impressive return to Newbury in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes.
Andrew Balding’s colt went on to run with credit behind dual Derby hero Lambourn in the Chester Vase, then took the runner-up spot in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. He has returned to form at exactly the right time.
Lambourn (Aidan O’Brien)
Lambourn needs to bounce back from a below-par display when finishing only fifth in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.
His form had been impeccable until running on the Knavesmire, but punters must be a little wary now and he’s not a trusted betting proposition for me.
Rahiebb (Roger Varian)
Rahiebb’s second to Merchant in a York handicap at the Dante meeting is a fair line of form, plus he finished a one-length third to Carmers in the Queen’s Vase after running into some early trouble
On the face of it however, he still looks a little bit out of his depth in a Group 1.
Scandinavia (Aidan O’Brien)
With Ryan Moore currently sidelined, Tom Marquand now rides the market leader Scandinavia, who recorded a superb victory over his elders in the Goodwood Cup last time out.
His win at Goodwood obviously puts him in as the favourite for this race on form, considering he beat the likes of Illinois that day, and punters will be keen to latch onto him.
Stay True (Aidan O’Brien)
Won a Leopardstown maiden before missing out by a short-head to stablemate Puppet Master in the Lingfield Derby Trial.
He was last seen in the Great Voltigeur, where he shaped with promise and that race will have sharpened him up for this.
He may well turn out to be the surprise joker in the pack under French ace – Mickael Barzalona.
Tarriance (Andrew Balding)
Tarriance touched off Many Men in a barnstorming finish to the Melrose Handicap three weeks ago at York, but will that level of form stack up here? In all honesty, it probably won’t.
St Leger Betting Preview
Aidan O’Brien saddles a strong triumvirate of runners, as he bids to win the St Leger for the third year in a row and for a ninth time in total.
Whilst Scandinavia and Lambourn hold obvious chances, O’Brien occasionally likes to share the love around, and his so called “third-string” Stay True, can have his day in the sun on Saturday.
St Leger prediction: Stay True (8/1, E/W)
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
