Doncaster Racecourse lies within the market town of Doncaster in the county of South Yorkshire, North England. It is owned by the Arena Leisure Plc, and is commonly referred to as the Town Moor Course. It is a dual-race type left handed racing course.
History
Doncaster has a long and rich horse racing history, with regular race meetings recorded as far back as the 15th Century. The popularity of the races kept growing such that by 1600 it had become a ruffian attraction center. There were plans to end racing due to the infiltration of the violent characters, but the events proved to have rooted themselves too deep, and a racecourse was marked out in 1614 to solve the crisis.
Some of the oldest races that run to date- the St. Leger Stakes and the Doncaster Cup- began at this track. The Doncaster cup is the oldest regulated horse race of all races that are still existent worldwide, while the St. Leger Stakes is the world’s oldest classic.
The course
Owners describe the course as pear-shaped. It is a largely flat area, which is around 1 mile and 7 furlongs in distance. It is modelled for both flat and National Hunt competition. The gentle gradient of the track makes it a fair track for all categories of all categories, be it budding two-year-olds or aging five-year-olds.
It is an easily accessible area by road or rail, making it a popular destination among racegoers.
Races
Two of Britain’s 31 Grade 1 races- The St. Leger Stakes and The Racing Post Trophy- are run at The Doncaster in September and October. Jump races at each end of a calendar year sandwich the flat competitions.
Jump races held here include the Great Yorkshire Chase and the Summit Juvenile Hurdle. Flat competitions include the Cammidge Trophy, Park Hill Stakes and the highly regarded Sceptre Stakes as well.