What’s running this month: September 2026
Five major meetings shape the month, from Haydock’s Sprint Cup to Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire.
This is the first edition of a new monthly rundown, a quick guide to the fixtures worth planning around. Links to full previews and results will be added here as the month unfolds.
Betfair Sprint Cup, Saturday 5 September
Haydock hosts the season’s top sprint Group 1 over six furlongs, the traditional curtain-raiser to the autumn’s biggest weeks. First run in 1966 as the Vernons Sprint Cup, it was promoted to Group 1 status in 1988. This year it carries a guaranteed £400,000, with £226,840 to the winner.
Betfred St Leger Festival, 10 to 13 September
Doncaster marks the 250th running of the world’s oldest Classic on Saturday 12 September, the centrepiece of a four-day festival. Run over an extended mile and six furlongs, it is the longest of Britain’s five Classics. The St Leger has stood as the season’s final Classic test since 1776.
Festival previews:
Irish Champions Weekend, 12 to 13 September
Leopardstown and the Curragh combine for Ireland’s showcase weekend, running in parallel with the closing days at Doncaster. Now in its thirteenth year, the festival carries over €5 million in prize money across six Group 1 races. It is headlined by the Irish Champion Stakes on the Saturday and the Irish St Leger, the final Irish Classic of the season, on the Sunday.
Ayr Gold Cup Festival, Saturday 19 September
Scotland’s biggest raceday closes out the month’s sprint action with one of the sport’s most competitive big-field handicaps. First run in 1804 and worth £180,000, the Gold Cup caps a three-day meeting. It also features the Ayr Silver and Bronze Cups over the same course and distance.
Cambridgeshire Meeting, 24 to 26 September
Newmarket rounds off September with three days of racing, capped by the Cambridgeshire itself on the Saturday. It is a historic autumn handicap that always draws a big field. First run in 1839 and worth £175,000, it forms the first leg of the Autumn Double, paired with the Cesarewitch later in the season.
