How to win the St Leger? A look at the last 20 winners

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Let’s be honest: the St Leger isn’t the sexiest of the British Classics. It comes after all the summer fireworks, Derby and Oaks are long gone, and most punters are already thinking about jumps season or drinking cider at Goodwood. But here’s the thing: the St Leger can be a goldmine if you know what to look for.

So, with about a month to go until the 2025 edition, I decided to go full nerd mode and analyse the last 20 winners of the race. Not because I think history repeats itself, but as the old saying goes — it often rhymes.

This isn’t some kind of ultimate prediction. I’m not Mystic Meg. But if you’re looking to bet smarter this September, it helps to know what usually works. So grab a cuppa (or a Guinness), and let’s dive into it.

Table of Contents

The Last 20 Winners of the St Leger (2005–2024)

I pulled together a table of the last 20 winners, including horse names, jockeys, trainers, weight carried and draw. That part’s done and dusted — you can scroll up to see the full chart if you’re into the numbers.

Here’s what stood out:

19 out of 20 winners were colts. The only filly to win was Simple Verse in 2015.
Aidan O’Brien trained 6 winners, more than anyone else by far.
John Gosden (now often appearing as the Gosden team) trained 4.
Frankie Dettori won it 4 times, even without ever shouting “It’s me again!” in the winner’s enclosure.
Stamina clearly matters — but not everyone came into the race with experience over 1m6f.

Let’s break it down a bit more.

St Leger trends: what the last 20 years tell us

Derby runners dominate

If there’s one trend that slaps you in the face like a wet form guide, it’s this: Derby runners show up well. Whether they won, placed or flopped, many St Leger winners ran at Epsom earlier in the season.

It makes sense. You want a horse that already had a go against the best of its generation — and who didn’t completely embarrass itself.

In fact, of the last 20 winners:

At least 13 had run in the Derby.
Several had placed or shown up decently before stepping up in trip.

Group form is (almost always) essential

We all dream of spotting a dark horse climbing from handicaps into Group 1 glory. But let’s be real — that’s not how the St Leger is usually won.

Most winners had already run in Group races.
Many had already won at Group 2 or Group 3 level before the big day.
A few, like Hurricane Lane and Logician, came in unbeaten or with sparkling Group 1 form.

So unless your pick has already been mixing it in pattern company, you might want to think twice.

Stamina matters… but it’s not everything

You’d expect every St Leger winner to have run over 1m6f before, right? Nope.

Actually, many were stepping up in trip for the first time — usually from 1m4f. What mattered more was how they finished their last race:

Did they stay on strongly?
Did they shape like a stayer in the making?

It’s a bit like betting on debutants — you’re not judging by what they’ve done, but by what they might do. If that’s your thing, I wrote a piece on how I approach those types right here.

The last furlongs at Doncaster are where dreams die for non-stayers. But plenty of first-timers at the trip have passed the test — especially when coming from trusted yards.

Favourites vs longshots

Despite being a Classic, the St Leger has thrown up a few surprises:

Horses like Harbour Law (2016) won at bigger odds.
But most winners came from the top 3 in the betting.

In short: it’s not the place to throw darts in the dark. But you don’t need to back the 6/4 fav either.

What casual bettors get wrong about the St Leger

You see it every year. A few punters look at the field and say, “None of these are top class — it’s a weak race.”
But here’s the catch: the St Leger isn’t about brilliance — it’s about staying power, timing, and temperament.

A lot of good horses avoid the Leger because they’re being pointed to the Arc, or they’re not bred for 1m6f. That doesn’t mean the ones who do turn up aren’t worthy. In fact, some St Leger winners go on to do serious things — even over jumps.

And when it comes to avoiding hype horses, I’ve got a few types I almost never bet on — you can check them out here if you’re curious (and brave).

So don’t dismiss the field because it lacks wow factor. If you spot a colt who’s been progressing all summer, stays well, and is trained by someone who knows what they’re doing? You might just have found your angle.

And hey, I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes over the years, from falling for hype horses to trusting dodgy stats. If you’re curious (or want to avoid them), I listed my top 10 betting blunders in this post.

What kind of horse wins the St Leger?

If I had to build a St Leger winner in a lab (preferably Irish), here’s what I’d be looking for:

3yo colt – that’s the default setting
Ran in the Derby or at least a good G2 trial like the Great Voltigeur
Already a Group performer, ideally a winner
From a top yard (O’Brien, Gosden, Appleby, Varian…)
Stays on strongly at 1m4f
Still improving — this isn’t for exposed types

If your pick ticks most of those boxes, you’re in good company.

The Aidan O’Brien factor

Let’s not dance around it: if Aidan O’Brien runs one, it matters. Since 2005, he’s won the St Leger six times, with all sorts of profiles — Derby types, strong stayers, even a maiden winner back in the day.

What’s fascinating is that his Leger horses don’t all follow the same route. Some come from the Great Voltigeur, others drop down after struggling in the Derby. Some are number one on paper, others are supposed to be pacemakers… and then win the whole thing.

If you’re scanning the Ballydoyle battalion in September, look beyond the market. Often, his “second string” is no second string at all.

Who fits the profile for the 2025 St Leger?

It’s early days still — but let’s play the game.

Lambourn (Derby winner): Classic credentials, stamina shouldn’t be an issue. The question is: will he actually run?
Ambiente Friendly: Second at Epsom, and trainer James Fanshawe doesn’t tilt at windmills. Big player if aimed here.
Some improving types from O’Brien’s yard are surely lurking in the shadows, as always.

We’ll know more after the Great Voltigeur Stakes and any surprise entries in late August.

The Great Voltigeur Stakes Connection

Ah yes — the Great Voltigeur at York. Often called the “St Leger trial”, and with good reason.

Plenty of recent Leger winners came straight from a strong performance at York. It’s run at 1m4f, so it doesn’t answer the stamina question completely, but it shows class, shape, and finishing power.

Horses who run well there and look like they wanted more? Massive tick.

Keep an eye on how the form from the Voltigeur works out — sometimes the runner-up at York goes on to win at Doncaster, once the distance increases and tactics change.

And of course, it’s a key pointer for those “still improving” types we’re all trying to catch.

Does the draw matter at Doncaster?

The simple answer? Not really — unless it’s soft.

In recent years, stall position hasn’t made or broken many St Leger dreams. The straight course at Doncaster is fair, wide and long enough to play out naturally. But on rain-softened ground, horses drawn too far wide can get isolated or stuck in slower patches.

If you’re betting on the day and the going has turned testing, keep an eye on where winners are coming from in earlier races. If there’s a bias, the market might not adjust in time — but you can.

That said, don’t ditch a horse you like just because it’s in stall 11. That’s how you miss Galileo Chrome.

Final Thoughts: what to watch over the next few weeks

This little dive into St Leger history was partly for fun — and partly because patterns help cut through the hype.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be watching:

Final declarations after prep races
Ground conditions (Doncaster can turn soft quickly)
Market moves (especially for Ballydoyle horses)

As always, form is key — but knowing what’s worked in the past gives you an extra edge.

And finally…

If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it or leave a comment. I’ll be back closer to the race with a more detailed betting preview once the field shapes up.

And remember: just because a horse hasn’t run 1m6f doesn’t mean it won’t stay. But if it’s trained by O’Brien and ran in the Derby… maybe don’t ignore it.

A few fun facts to impress your mates

Lanfranco Dettori has won the race 4 times — but might now be more likely to commentate on it than ride in it.
Only one filly has won in 20 years — Simple Verse, after a stewards’ enquiry!
Harbour Law (2016) remains one of the biggest-priced winners in recent memory — and ended up going hurdling!
Galileo appears in the pedigree of over half the winners since 2005. Not exactly shocking.
John Gosden’s winners include both all-out stayers and Derby-class horses. He adapts.

Because yes, betting is serious business… but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of trivia to go with your 16/1 each-way shot.