St Leger Betting Sites & Event Review: Odds, Promotions, and More

By taking a look at some of the different betting promotions up for grabs, reviewing market odds prices and sharing some general facts and historical info, the following article will give you a solid rundown of what you can expect from the bookies when the festival kicks off. To begin with, you can take a look at the table above to get a general summary of the some of the better St Leger betting sites in the UK horse racing market. For more detailed information, however, keep scrolling down the page.

St Leger Betting Offers and Promotions

In general, betting offers and promotions for this event are pretty easy to come by. As has become pretty standard nowadays, betting sites always promise to pay you out at the best odds price even if the early price you first took is lower than the starting price. Additional promotions that aren’t specific to St Leger betting but are still applicable may include some extra-place payout deals, or even some money-back specials if lady luck hasn’t quite gone your way e.g. refunds of up to a certain amount should your selection be beaten by less than a length or if it fails to finish.

Promotions tailored specifically for St Leger aren’t always so easy come by but have been known to appear at some of the better-ranked bookies such as William Hill or Paddy Power. These can come in the form of odds price boosts or some occasional extra win bonuses.

St Leger Betting Odds Levels

St Leger betting odds levels are always, at the very least, competitive. This is largely due to the fact that, despite its mature age, the event continues to command significant attention from UK punters, so online bookmakers we’ve reviewed are compelled to keep their prices in line with the competition in order to avoid deterring would-be bettors.

As far as wagering on the event goes, it’s probably best to avoid placing super-early wagers. Although it’s not uncommon to find some attractive-looking odds prices way before the race is due to kick off, history has shown that the Festival, and particularly the St Leger Stakes, tends to be highly competitive, with the favourites not always going on to claim first place. With the event taking place late in the flat season in September, the best approach is to keep an eye on the form of the competitors throughout the year and make an educated punt closer to the time – this will make for better value in the end.

Some Interesting Facts

As briefly mentioned earlier, the Festival hosts the oldest of the five British Classics; the remaining four are the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, the Epsom Oaks and the Epsom Derby. Run over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards, the St Leger Stakes is the most challenging of the Classic races and is also the final race in the world-famous series to take place. It begins with the running of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes in late April or early May and closes with St Leger in September.

Event Information:
First held:	1776	St Leger logo  St Leger racecourse view
Top Prize:	£700,000
Duration of Event:	Three days
Track:	Doncaster Racecourse
Weight:	Varied
Qualification:	Varied

Other noteworthy races held at the festival include the Doncaster Cup, which is traditionally held on the opening day, the Champagne Stakes and the Portland Handicap. The Doncaster Cup predates the Festival by ten years, making it the oldest surviving race at Doncaster. It is one of the most prestigious races for stayers in the British Isles and is also part of the British Champions’ series. The Champagne Stakes is a Group 2 event for two-year-old colts and geldings – winners here sometimes go on to compete in the Dewhurst Stakes a month later – and the Portland Handicap is a handicap race of 5 furlongs and 143 yards held on the same day as the St Leger Stakes.

The Story So Far

The Festival was established back in 1776 with the introduction of the St Leger Stakes, which was inaugurated by one Anthony St Leger, an army officer and politician local to Doncaster. Its original name was the Sweepstake of 25 Guineas and it was first run over a distance of three miles. One year after the inaugural race the Stakes was given the name by which it is known today and a year later found its home in Town Moor, where it is still run to this very day. It was not until 1813 that the distance was shorted to one mile 6 furlongs and 193 yards, which is roughly the same distance at which it is run today.

To this day the festival continues to flourish and still attracts the best-trained thoroughbreds from all across horse racing in the British Isles, with betting at Doncaster representing one of the most important markets of the year for UK bookmakers. It remains one of the most respected events for horses in the world, with the role of honour in the St Leger Stakes featuring some of the most celebrated horses in the history of the sport. Arts, culture, fine dining and music all collide in Doncaster, the northern city famed worldwide for its rich history of horse breeding and racing, every September with the world’s oldest classic, the Stakes, as the centrepiece.

Be sure to opt for one of the best St Leger betting sites featured here in our article and get the best value on the UK market!