A total crowd of 23,339 attended Doncaster Racecourse for the Betfred St Leger Day, an 11% increase on 2023’s attendance, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer who was in attendance with his family, to witness the final Classic of the British Flat Racing season that attracts some of the leading trainers and horses from across the country.
Those in attendance got to soak up the drama of the World’s oldest Classic, which was first run in Doncaster in 1776. In a thrilling rendition of the race, Jan Brueghel, ridden by Sean Levey and trained by Aidan O’Brien, cleared stablemate Illinois to take the glory of winning the Group 1 Betfred St Leger Stakes 2024 and wrote themselves into the history books.
Alongside the feature race of the afternoon, Doncaster Racecourse paid a heartfelt tribute this year to Howard Wright, a legendary journalist born in Doncaster and President of Doncaster Racecourse’s Annual Members Committee, who had attended every festival since the late 1940s and recently passed away. Today, in a fitting tribute, it was announced that the on-site press office will be named after him and yesterday, the Betfred Howard Wright Doncaster Cup, also took his name for 2024’s running of the race.
Rachel Harwood Executive Director of Doncaster Racecourse said: “What a day. This is my absolute favourite day of the year and it’s clear to see why the Betfred St Leger Festival is one of the most highly regarded horseracing events in the country. It’s fantastic that we’ve welcomed more people to the Betfred St Leger Day this year than in 2023 and shows that our customers still want to be part of those special moments in history. Alongside the thousands of racegoers I’ve seen enjoying their day, it was a pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister and his family to Doncaster Racecourse.
Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said: “There aren’t many better days out than the races in the sunshine, so it’s a pleasure to be back in Doncaster for the historic St Leger this year. My wife has a close connection with the racecourse so the thrill of the St Leger is no stranger to us.”
