The 2026 St Leger takes place at Doncaster on Saturday afternoon, with a field of 11 runners set to line up in the final Classic of the season.
We preview this year’s edition of the Group 1 marathon showpiece and pick out our 1-2-3 for what should be a wide open renewal.
Race Info
- Race: Betfred St Leger (Group 1)
- Course: Doncaster
- Date/time: Saturday 12 September 2026, 3.35pm
- Distance: 1m 6f 115y
- Going: Good to soft
- Prize fund: £700,000 (winner: £396,970)
- Runners: 11
Horse-by-Horse Verdict
1. Action – Runner-up in the Dante Stakes earlier in the season, Action has failed to build on that run and has now been used for pacemaking duties by Aidan O’Brien. Last of eight in the Juddmonte International Stakes, he’s sure to be used to take things along on the front end here.
2. Alderman – Ran a cracker at 100/1 in the Derby at Epsom back in June, as he finished fifth. Disappointing when last of fifth in the Bahrain Trophy on his last outing, but is one that has bundles of stamina.
3. Christmas Day – Relished the soft conditions when romping to glory in the Derby at Epsom earlier in the season. Aidan O’Brien’s Classic winner is looking to become the first horse in decades to win the St Leger as well, and is well fancied. He disappointed in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, whilst he was beaten in the Irish Derby, but has proven he can deliver on biggest stage.
4. Enceladus – Three wins on the bounce have rocketed Joseph O’Brien’s colt into the big time. A winner of the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, he then went and bounded to victory in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. Now stepping up to the highest level again, he will need to improve once again, but he’s going the right way and is one of the leading players.
5. Galiyan – Second to Point Of Law in the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, Galiyan could only finish fifth in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. Andrew Balding’s yard have been in sensational form all season, and if the master trainer can work his magic again then could he cause a shock?
6. Golden Story – Won the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood to claim a first listed win, Karl Burke’s charge was then fourth of five in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot. Will need to improve significantly on that effort to feature here.
7. Hatteen – Looked very smart when bounding to a novice stakes win at Doncaster two starts ago, and followed that up with a good second in a Goodwood handicap. This is a huge step up, but he returns to Town Moor, where he’s blossomed before, and he could be one that goes under the radar.
8. Highwaymen – A winner of a Leopardstown listed event on his last outing, Highwaymen will be an able second string for Joseph O’Brien. One with huge each-way potential, he’s a horse on the upgrade, and is entitled to take his chance against the big boys here.
9. Pierre Bonnard – Yet to claim a big prize to date, Pierre Bonnard has been running well in high class races all season, and is interesting for the O’Brien team. Third in the Irish Derby, he then went on to finish second in the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, where he finished ahead of Christmas Day, and he will be looking to repeat that on Saturday.
10. Rebel Rocker – Fourth in the Geoffrey Freer Stakes on his last outing, Faye Bramley’s charge will be a huge price to claim Leger glory.
11. Amelia Earhart – The sole filly in the line-up, Amelia Earhart was touted as a potential star when winning at Chester back in May. However, she’s disappointed on several occasions this season, and was last seen finishing second at Cork.
Trends & Stats
Here are three key stats to look out for when placing a bet on the 2026 St Leger:
- 4 of the last 10 winners have been favourite
- Aidan O’Brien has trained 5 of the last 10 winners
- 8 of the last 10 winners have been trained in Ireland
St Leger Selections
Aidan O’Brien has been the dominant figure and he can do just that again with Pierre Bonnard, who can finally claim that big victory. He can get the better of Enceladus, who continues to sparkle on the track, whilst Highwayman can complete an O’Brien 1-2-3, albeit second and third heading to Joseph.
- Pierre Bonnard
- Enceladus
- Highwayman