Doncaster Races

The December Novices’ Chase is a grade 2 contest run over a distance of 2 miles 7 furlongs and 214 yards.The race is for novice chasers and is run each year in December. The winner’s purse is approximately £24,000 and is  considered a stepping stone to the 3 mile Brown Advisory Novice Chase at Cheltenham in March.

The Lightning Novices’ Chase is a grade 2 contest run over a distance of 2 miles and 78 yards and is scheduled to take place in late January or early February with the winner’s prize being approximately £23,000 with the race being a trial for the Arkle Chase at Cheltenham six weeks later.

The River Don Novices’ Hurdle is a grade 2 hurdle race run over a distance of 3 miles and 110 yards and takes place each year in late January or early February with the winner’s purse being around £22,000. The race is normally a trial for the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham in six weeks time.

The Sky Bet Handicap Chase is run at Doncaster in January over three miles.Formerly known as The Great Yorkshire Chase the winner’s purse is around £57,000.

The Lincoln Handicap is the first big handicap of the turf season taking place in late March or early April over the straight mile. A maximum field of 22 is the norm with William Haggas the joint leading trainer with four victories. The purse for the winner is currently around £77,000.

The Flying Childers is a Group 2 flat race for two year olds scheduled to take place each year in September. It is run over 5 furlongs and usually produces a speedy juvenile who may go on to challenge for leading sprint honours the following season with the 2023 winner Big Evs following up at the Breeders Cup in the Juvenile Sprint Turf. The winner wins around £65,000.

The Doncaster Cup is a Group 2 contest run each year in September over 2 miles and 1 furlong. It is one of the leading events for stayers in Britain and is the final leg of the Stayers’ Triple Crown preceded by the Ascot Gold Cup and the Goodwood Gold Cup. It is usually held on the third day of the St. Leger meeting with the current first prize being £74,000.

The Champagne Stakes is a Group 2 contest for two-year-olds run during the four day St Leger meeting. It is run over 7 furlongs and is for colts or geldings only and has a first prize of £71,000.The leading horses from the contest sometimes go on to compete in the following month’s Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.

The St Leger is a Group 1 contest for three year olds and is the final and oldest classic of the flat season following the 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas,Oaks & Derby. Run over 1 mile 6 furlongs and 115 yards it takes place each year in September. It’s worth £421,000 to the winner with the victor looking to play a part in all the top staying events the following year.

The Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 contest for staying two-year-olds and is held each year in late October making it the last two year old Group 1 contest of the season in the UK. Run over a distance of a mile the winner will be looking at collecting a prize of £128,000 and will go into winter quarters eyeing a tilt at the classics as a three year old, especially the Epsom Derby the following season.