Betfred St Leger
Group 1, Doncaster 15:40
£700,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m 6f 115y, Class 1   
Saturday 13th September 2025

Paddy Twomey’s Carmers has his eyes now firmly trained on this after running a blinder to finish second in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

The Wootton Bassett colt came to the Knavesmire with an unbeaten record – three from three, a maiden, a Listed success and then the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot. Stepping down in distance for the first time, a mile and a half against seasoned rivals that included the dual Derby winner Lambourn, he gave his all and was only a length adrift at the line. A performance that not only kept the dream alive but teed him up beautifully for a tilt at the extended trip and Group One company on Town Moor in September.

“We were very happy with him at York last week, finishing second in the Great Voltigeur on his first time dropping in trip to a mile and a half,” said Twomey.

“He travelled through the race well and hit the line strong, I thought it was a very good trial for the St Leger at Doncaster in a few weeks.

“On numbers it looked his best run to date, he’s a progressive horse and I think stepping back to a mile and six at Doncaster will really suit him.”

And the stage is set. Carmers is one of 15 left standing after the latest entry stage, and the Irish hand looks stacked: Aidan O’Brien with eight still in the mix, more than half the field, and bristling with talent. The Goodwood Cup hero Scandinavia heads the Ballydoyle battalion, odds-on and brimming with momentum. Lambourn, the dual Derby winner, is still there, as is Stay True – both behind Carmers at York, both with something to prove.

There are twists too: Minnie Hauk clings to her place in the line-up despite O’Brien hinting at other plans, while stablemate Whirl is scratched from the cast list. Add Joseph O’Brien’s Tennessee Stud, Derby third, into the equation and the Irish challenge numbers ten.

The home defence? Thinner on the ground but not without backbone. Lazy Griff flies the Middleham Park flag, dual Classic-placed and leading the five-strong British defence. He’s joined by William Haggas’ Great Voltigeur third Arabian Force, Andrew Balding’s duo of Furthur and Melrose scorer Tarriance, plus Roger Varian’s Rahiebb.

So, all roads now point to Doncaster – a Classic in the balance, Carmers with his chance, Twomey’s team buoyant, and the Irish heavyweights circling. The next furlong in this story comes mid-September.

FormRatings

Betfred St Leger Stakes
£700,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m 6f 115y, Class 1
15 remaining entries
Going:

NO. FORM HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY
1 611723 Arabian Force 3 9-3 William Haggas
2 1112 Carmers 3 9-3 P Twomey
3 -15251 Furthur 3 9-3 Andrew Balding
4 -71377 Galveston 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
5 -21115 Lambourn 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
6 31-223 Lazy Griff 3 9-3 Charlie Johnston
7 122234 Rahiebb 3 9-3 Roger Varian
8 3-2 Saratoga 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
9 7-1511 Scandinavia 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
10 -44825 Shackleton 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
11 124 Stay True 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
12 31211 Tarriance 3 9-3 Andrew Balding
13 21-334 Tennessee Stud 3 9-3 Joseph O'Brien
14 4-6177 Thrice 3 9-3 A P O'Brien
15 1-1111 Minnie Hauk 3 9-0 A P O'Brien

ST LEGER ROLL OF HONOUR (1946- )
Year Horse Trainer Jockey Owner SP Ran

2024 JAN BRUEGHEL
2023 CONTINUOUS
2022 ELDAR ELDAROV
2021 HURRICANE LANE
2020 GALILEO CHROME
2019 LOGICIAN
2018 KEW GARDENS
2017 CAPRI
2016 HARBOUR LAW Mrs LJ Mongan George Baker Mrs Jackie Cornwell 22/1 8
2015 SIMPLE VERSE Ralph Beckett Andrea Atzeni QRL/Sheikh Suhaim Al Thani/M Al Kubaisi 8/1 7
2014 KINGSTON HILL Roger Varian Andrea Atzeni Paul Smith 9/4F 12
2013 LEADING LIGHT Aidan O’Brien Joseph O’Brien Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor 7/2F 11
2012 ENCKE Mahmood Al Zarooni Mickael Barzalona Godolphin 25/1 9
2011 MASKED MARVEL John Gosden William Buick Bjorn Nielsen 15/2 9
2010 ARCTIC COSMOS John Gosden William Buick Rachel Hood & Robin Geffen 12/1 10
2009 MASTERY Saeed bin Suroor Ted Durcan Godolphin 14/1 8
2008 CONDUIT Sir Michael Stoute Frankie Dettori Ballymacoll Stud 8/1 14
2007 LUCARNO John Gosden Jimmy Fortune George Strawbridge 7/2 10
2006** SIXTIES ICON Jeremy Noseda Frankie Dettori Susan Roy 11/8F 11
2005 SCORPION Aidan O’Brien IRE Frankie Dettori Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 10/11F 6
2004 RULE OF LAW Saeed bin Suroor Kerrin McEvoy Godolphin 3/1JF 9
2003 BRIAN BORU Aidan O’Brien IRE Jamie Spencer Sue Magnier 5/4F 12
2002 BOLLIN ERIC Tim Easterby Kevin Darley Sir Neil & Lady Westbrook 7/1 8
2001 MILAN Aidan O’Brien IRE Michael Kinane Michael Tabor & Sue Magnier 13/8F 10
2000 MILLENARY John Dunlop Richard Quinn Neil Jones 11/4F 11
1999 MUTAFAWEQ Saeed bin Suroor Richard Hills Godolphin 11/2 9
1998 NEDAWI Saeed bin Suroor John Reid Godolphin 5/2F 9
1997 SILVER PATRIARCH John Dunlop Pat Eddery Peter Winfield 5/4F 10
1996 SHANTOU John Gosden Frankie Dettori Sheikh Mohammed 8/1 11
1995 CLASSIC CLICHE Saeed bin Suroor Frankie Dettori Godolphin 100/30F 10
1994 MOONAX Barry Hills Pat Eddery Sheikh Mohammed 40/1 8
1993 BOB'S RETURN Mark Tompkins Philip Robinson Jackie Smith 3/1F 9
1992 USER FRIENDLY Clive Brittain George Duffield Bill Gredley 7/4F 7
1991 TOULON Andre Fabre FR Pat Eddery Khalid Abdullah 5/2F 10
1990 SNURGE Paul Cole Richard Quinn Martyn Arbib 7/2 8
1989* MICHELOZZO Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Charles St George 6/4F 8
1988 MINSTER SON Neil Graham Willie Carson Lady Beaverbrook 15/2 6
1987 REFERENCE POINT Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Louis Freedman 4/11F 7
1986 MOON MADNESS John Dunlop Pat Eddery Duchess of Norfolk 9/2 8
1985 OH SO SHARP Henry Cecil Steve Cauthen Sheikh Mohammed 8/11F 6
1984 COMMANCHE RUN Luca Cumani Lester Piggott Ivan Allan 7/4F 11
1983 SUN PRINCESS Dick Hern Willie Carson Sir Michael Sobell 11/8F 10
1982 TOUCHING WOOD Tom Jones Paul Cook Maktoum Al Maktoum 7/1 15
1981 CUT ABOVE Dick Hern Joe Mercer Sir John Astor 28/1 7
1980 LIGHT CAVALRY Henry Cecil Joe Mercer Jim Joel 3/1 7
1979 SON OF LOVE Robert Collet FR Alain Lequeux A Rolland 20/1 17
1978 JULIO MARINER Clive Brittain Edward Hide Marcos Lemos 28/1 14
1977 DUNFERMLINE Dick Hern Willie Carson The Queen 10/1 13
1976 CROW Angel Penna FR Yves Saint-Martin Daniel Wildenstein 6/1CF 15
1975 BRUNI Ryan Price Tony Murray Charles St George 9/1 12
1974 BUSTINO Dick Hern Joe Mercer Lady Beaverbrook 11/10F 10
1973 PELEID Bill Elsey Frankie Durr Bill Behrens 28/1 13
1972 BOUCHER Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Ogden Phipps 3/1 7
1971 ATHENS WOOD Tom Jones Lester Piggott Mrs John Rogerson 5/2 8
1970 NIJINSKY Vincent O'Brien IRE Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 2/7F 9
1969 INTERMEZZO Harry Wragg Ron Hutchinson Gerry Oldham 7/1 11
1968 RIBERO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 100/30 8
1967 RIBOCCO Fulke Johnson Houghton Lester Piggott Charles Engelhard 7/2 9
1966 SODIUM George Todd Frankie Durr R J Sigita 7/1 9
1965 PROVOKE Dick Hern Joe Mercer John Astor 28/1 11
1964 INDIANA Jack Watts Jimmy Lindley Charles Engelhard 100/7 15
1963 RAGUSA Paddy Prendergast IRE Garnet Bougoure Jim Mullion 2/5F 7
1962 HETHERSETT Dick Hern Harry Carr Major Lionel Holliday 100/8 15
1961 AURELIUS Noel Murless Lester Piggott Mrs V Lilley 9/2 13
1960 ST PADDY Noel Murless Lester Piggott Sir Victor Sassoon 4/6F 9
1959 CANTELO Charles Elsey Edward Hide William Hill 100/7 11
1958 ALCIDE Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Sir Humphrey de Trafford 4/9F 8
1957 BALLYMOSS Vincent O’Brien IRE T P Burns Jock McShain 8/1 16
1956 CAMBREMER George Bridgland FR Freddie Palmer R B Strassburger 8/1 13
1955 MELD Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Harry Carr Lady Zia Wernher 10/11F 8
1954 NEVER SAY DIE Joe Lawson Charlie Smirke Robert Sterling Clark 100/30 16
1953 PREMONITION Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Eph Smith W P Wyatt 10/1 11
1952 TULYAR Marcus Marsh Charlie Smirke H H Aga Khan III 10/11F 12
1951 TALMA II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 7/1 18
1950 SCRATCH II Charles Semblat FR Rae Johnstone Marcel Boussac 9/2 15
1949 RIDGE WOOD Noel Murless Michael Beary G R H Smith 100/7 16
1948 BLACK TARQUIN Cecil Boyd-Rochfort Edgar Britt W Woodward 15/2 14
1947 SAYAJIRAO Fred Armstrong Edgar Britt Maharaja Of Baroda 9/2 11
1946 AIRBOURNE Dick Perryman Tommy Lowrey Jock Ferguson 3/1 11
* Run at Ayr
** Run at York