Irish St. Leger

The Irish St Leger is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile and 6 furlongs (2,816 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

It is Ireland's equivalent of the St Leger Stakes, a famous race in England (although unlike the English race, it is open to both horses above age three and geldings).

History

The event was established in 1915, and it was originally restricted to three-year-olds. The first horse to win both the English and Irish St Legers was Royal Lancer in 1922.

The first Irish St. Leger winner to complete a Triple Crown (having previously won the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Irish Derby) was Museum in 1935. The only subsequent horse to win all three races was Windsor Slipper in 1942.

The Irish St Leger became an open-age race in 1983, and there have been several repeat winners since then. The most successful has been Vinnie Roe, with four consecutive victories from 2001 to 2004.

St Leger Stakes

The St Leger Stakes (spelt without a full stop in UK English) 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 132 yards (2,937 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

Established in 1776, the St Leger is the oldest of Britain's five Classics. It is the last of the five to be run each year, and its distance is longer than any of the other four.

The St Leger is the final leg of the English Triple Crown, which begins with the 2,000 Guineas and continues with the Derby. It also completes the Fillies' Triple Crown, following on from the 1,000 Guineas and the Oaks. The St Leger has rarely featured Triple Crown contenders in recent decades, with the only one in recent years being the 2012 2,000 Guineas and Derby winner Camelot, who finished second in the St Leger.

History

Early years

The event was devised by Anthony St Leger, an army officer and politician who lived near Doncaster. It was initially referred to as "A Sweepstake of 25 Guineas", and its original distance was two miles. The rules stipulated that colts and geldings were to carry 8 st, and fillies would receive an allowance of 2 lb.

St Leger (greyhounds)

The St Leger is an original classic greyhound competition held at Wimbledon Stadium. It was run at Wembley Stadium from 1928 until 1998, it moved to its current home in 1999.

Past winners

References

External links