The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 115 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The Goodwood Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 36 annual Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.
Joseph Mercer, OBE was an English thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active from 1947 to 1985, riding 2,810 winners in Britain. Mercer's nickname was "Smokin' Joe.”
Ardross was an Irish-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Racing at age three, he got his first significant win in the Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh. He also lost by a head to Akiyda in the 1982 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the final race of his career. Ardross first raced for Ireland's Paddy Prendergast and, after his death, was bought by Charles St. George and trained by Henry Cecil in England, winning fourteen of his twenty-four starts, thirteen of them coming at Pattern level. He twice won the Ascot Gold Cup and the Yorkshire Cup. His other major successes came in the Prix Royal-Oak, the Doncaster Cup, and the Goodwood Cup. Before moving to Newmarket, he was runner-up to the Henry Cecil-trained Le Moss in the Ascot Gold Cup.
Alycidon (1945–1963) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was described as "one of the greatest stayers in history". In a career which lasted from the autumn of 1947 until September 1949 he ran seventeen times and won eleven races. He was the second best British three-year-old of his generation, when he finished second to Black Tarquin in the St Leger Stakes. He was undefeated in his remaining seven races, defeating Black Tarquin in the 1949 Ascot Gold Cup and going on to win the Stayers' Triple Crown. After his retirement from racing he became the Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland in 1955, despite having low fertility and a relatively short career at stud.
Millenary is a retired British Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He won the St. Leger Stakes in 2000, and, unusually for a Classic winner, stayed in training until the age of eight, winning many important races over middle and long distances.
Bollin Eric, was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career which lasted from July 2001 until October 2003, he ran eighteen times and won four races. He recorded his most important success when winning the Classic St. Leger Stakes as a three-year-old in 2002. He won the Lonsdale Stakes in the following year and was placed in important races including the Dante Stakes, King Edward VII Stakes, Great Voltigeur Stakes, Yorkshire Cup and Hardwicke Stakes.
Black Tarquin (1945–1965) was an American-bred, British-trained racehorse and sire, best known for winning the St. Leger Stakes in 1948 and for his rivalry with Alycidon. In a career which lasted from June 1947 until July 1949, he ran fifteen times and won eight races. He was one of the leading two-year-olds of 1947, although he did not race after winning the Gimcrack Stakes in August. He was slow to reach peak fitness in 1948, and was unplaced in The Derby, but showed his best form in autumn when he beat a strong field in the St. Leger Stakes. His form continued into the following spring, but his career was effectively ended by his defeat in the Ascot Gold Cup. The victories of Black Tarquin led to a change in the way in which the Thoroughbred was defined in Britain.
King Fergus (1775–1801) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won several races, but achieved greater success as a sire. He was British Champion sire in 1797 and his progeny included St Leger Stakes winner Hambletonian, who was only defeated once in his 19 race career.
Arbar was a French racehorse and sire. A horse with a strong, stamina-rich pedigree he was unraced as a two-year-old but proved himself one of the best European three-year-olds of 1947, despite a narrow defeat in the St Leger Stakes. In the following season he established himself as the best stayer in Europe with wins in the Prix du Cadran in France and the Ascot Gold Cup in Britain. He was injured at Goodwood in July and was retired to stud, where he had some success as a sire of winners.
Voltaire was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won five of his six races, including the Doncaster Gold Cup in 1828. After retiring from racing he became a successful stallion, siring St. Leger winner Charles the Twelfth and Voltigeur, who won both The Derby and the St. Leger. He was bred and owned by Robert Stephenson, before being sold to William Vane, Marquess of Cleveland, whom he raced for as a three-year-old.
Le Moss was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. A specialist stayer, he excelled at distances of two miles and beyond, winning eleven times from fifteen races between 1977 and 1980. He showed good form as a three-year-old, winning the Queen's Vase and finishing second in the classic St Leger Stakes, but reached his peak as an older horse. In 1979 he completed the "Stayers' Triple Crown" by winning the Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup. He won the same three races as a five-year-old, defeating the future champion Ardross on each occasion, and in doing so becoming the only horse ever to win the "Stayers' Triple Crown" twice. He was then retired to stud where he had some success as a sire of steeplechasers.
Buckskin was a French-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Unraced as a two-year-old, he was trained in France in 1976 and 1977 before being transferred to race the United Kingdom in 1978 and 1979. A specialist stayer, he overcame serious physical problems to win several major long-distance races including the Prix du Cadran (twice), Prix de Barbeville, Prix Jean Prat, Doncaster Cup, Jockey Club Cup and Henry II Stakes. He was also the beaten favourite in three successive runnings of the Ascot Gold Cup. After his retirement from racing, he became a very successful sire of National Hunt horses.
Gunner B was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from May 1975 until October 1978 he contested thirty-three races, winning fourteen times, finishing second five times and third seven times. Originally trained in Yorkshire, he won twice as a two-year-old in 1975 before becoming a highly successful handicapper in the following season, when he won the Cecil Frail Handicap, Andy Capp Handicap and the Doonside Cup. He won three races in 1977 including the Group Three Diomed Stakes but appeared to have been well-exposed as a tough, consistent horse who was some way below the best. After joining the stable of Henry Cecil in 1978, however, he emerged as a genuinely top-class horse winning the Earl of Sefton Stakes, Brigadier Gerard Stakes, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and Valdoe Stakes as well as finishing second in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup and third in the Champion Stakes. After his retirement from racing, he became a very successful sire of National Hunt horses. He died in 2003 at the age of thirty.
Shangamuzo was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire best known for winning the Ascot Gold Cup in 1978. A specialist stayer, he won eight of his thirty-four races, finished second nine times and third on five occasions.
Persian Gulf (1940–1964) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, who raced during World War II. He was a slow-maturing horse who did not race until he was three years old and failed to win in his first season although he finished fourth in both the Derby and the St Leger. As a four-year-old in 1944 he established himself as arguably the best horse in Britain by winning four of his five races, culminating with an emphatic win in a substitute Coronation Cup. His racing career was ended by injury less than a month later. He later became a very successful breeding stallion, siring several major winners.
Keystone was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Having suffered from ill-health as a juvenile she recorded an emphatic win in the Epsom Oaks on her second racecourse appearance. She went on to win the Coronation Stakes and three other races as well as finishing second in the Jockey Club Stakes and a possibly unlucky fourth in the St Leger. She failed to win in the following year and was retired from racing. As a broodmare she produced the St Leger winner Keysoe and was the female-line ancestor of Display and Ballymoss.
Ossian was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. After finishing unplaced on his only start as a juvenile and running fifth on his thee-year-old debut, he made very good progress and ended the year as the biggest money-winner in Britain. He demonstrated consistent top-class form to win the Sussex Stakes, Drawing Room Stakes, Great Yorkshire Handicap, St Leger Stakes and Great Foal Stakes a well as being placed in the Craven Stakes, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Ascot Derby and Champion Stakes. As four-year-old he developed respiratory problems but walked over for the Claret Stakes and was placed in both the Goodwood Cup and the Doncaster Cup. He made little impact in his short career as a breeding stallion before dying at age 11 while being exported to the United States.
