Doncaster is one of the oldest (and the largest in physical capacity) established centres for horse racing in Britain, with records of regular race meetings going back to the 16th century. A map of 1595 already shows a racecourse at Town Moor.[1] In 1600 the corporation tried to put an end to the races because of the number of ruffians they attracted, but by 1614 it acknowledged failure and instead marked out a racecourse.
Doncaster is home to two of the World's oldest horse races:
The earliest important race in Doncaster's history was the Doncaster Gold Cup, first run over Cantley Common in 1766. The Doncaster Cup is the oldest continuing regulated horse race in the world. Together with the 2 miles (3,200 m) Goodwood Cup and 2+1⁄2 miles (4,000 m) Ascot Gold Cup, the Doncaster Cup is part of Britain's Stayers' Triple Crown for horses capable of running longer distances.
Ten years later the racecourse moved to its present location, and in 1776 Colonel Anthony St. Leger founded a race in which five horses ran. This race has remained in existence and has become the world's oldest classic horse race. During the First World War the racecourse was used for military purposes, and substitute races were run at Newmarket from 1915 to 1918.
Doncaster has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat season on turf. Every September, Doncaster hosts the prestigious four-day William Hill St. Leger Festival, which is acclaimed as the premier sporting occasion of the autumn calendar. Doncaster has also taken over events whose traditional homes have closed, such as the Lincoln Handicap in 1965. More history was made at Doncaster in 1992 when it staged the first ever Sunday meeting on a British racecourse. A crowd of 23,000 turned up despite the absence of betting.
The racecourse is used for other functions. It regularly hosts conventions such as the Tattoo Festival and business meetings such as Doncaster Dynamites BNI[clarification needed] every Wednesday. The current[when?] membership committee of that BNI chapter comprises local Doncaster business people Michael Reeder, Ailsa Watson, James Criddle, Mark Appleyard, Jason Cole, Ian Smith and Andrew Isaacs.
Today the St. Leger Stakes remains the world's oldest classic horse race, and features in the horse racing calendar as the fifth and final Classic of the British Flat racing season. It is run every September.
Specifications
Doncaster is a left-handed, pear-shaped track of around 1 mile 7½ furlongs (3.1 km) which is mostly flat. There are courses for Flat racing and National Hunt racing. The racecourse is easily accessible by road, railway and air.
1: Site is still used as gallops (a place to train and exercise horses)
2: Stockton Racecourse was originally north of the River Tees, but a new cut in the river changed it to be on the south side of the Tees, and therefore in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
