VRC St Leger

The VRC St Leger is a Listed Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 2800 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on ANZAC Day.[1]

VRC St Leger
Listed race
Comic Court, 1949 winner.
LocationFlemington Racecourse
Melbourne, Australia
Inaugurated1857
Race typeThoroughbred - Flat racing
WebsiteVictoria Racing Club
Race information
Distance2,800 metres
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
WeightSet weights with penalties
Purse$160,000 (2020)

The race name is the only surviving one as other race clubs around Australia have eliminated the long distance race from their calendar.

History
Grand Flaneur winner of the 1881 VRC St Leger

First run in 1857, the race was originally held in March as part of the Victoria Racing Club Autumn Carnival. In 1907 the race was run on the same race card as the Newmarket Handicap.[2]

In an effort to promote the Australian Thoroughbred breeding industry, from 1932 to 1956 geldings were banned from competing in the St. Leger. Past St Leger Stakes winners include Australian Racing Hall of Fame inductees Grand Flaneur (1881), Poseidon (1907),[2] Phar Lap (1930),[3] Tranquil Star (1941) and Tulloch (1958). Several winners also captured Australia's most prestigious race, the Melbourne Cup. They are: Grand Flaneur (1881), Phar Lap (1930), Comic Court (1949), Delta (1950), and Gurner's Lane (1982). In 1956, Sailor's Guide won the race and in 1958 raced in North America where he defeated a top international field in the forerunner to the Breeders' Cup Turf, the then very prestigious Washington, D.C. International Stakes.

Poseidon, 1907 winner

Venue

The St. Leger was hosted by Moonee Valley Racecourse in 2001[4] and again in 2007[5] due to track refurbishments being carried out at the Flemington racecourse.

Distance

The race was held over a distance of 14 furlongs, 132 yards until 1973 when it was modified to the metric distance of 2800 metres. In 1975 the race was run over 2700 metres.[6] In 2001 and 2007, the distance was changed to 2500 metres when the race was run at Moonee Valley Racecourse[4] while Flemington was under redevelopment.[5]

Grade
  • 1857–1979 - Principal Race
  • 1980–1990 - Group 2
  • 1991–2005 - Group 3[7]
  • 2006 onwards - Listed Race

Records

Previously tied with T.J. Smith at six wins, in 2005 Bart Cummings set the record for most victories by a trainer when he won the race for the seventh time.

Winners
  • 2020 - Sacramento[8]
  • 2019 - Transact[9]
  • 2018 - Runaway[10]
  • 2017 - Dornier[11]
  • 2016 - Cool Chap[12]
  • 2015 - Authoritarian[13]
  • 2014 - Order of the Sun[14]
  • 2013 - Hippopus[15]
  • 2012 - Vatuvei[16]
  • 2011 - Right Of Refusal[17]
  • 2010 - Exceptionally[18]
  • 2009 - Berlioz[19]
  • 2008 - †Inkster / Moment In Time[20]
  • 2007 - Lazer Sharp[5]
  • 2006 - Dolphin Jo[21]
  • 2005 - Accumulate[7]
  • 2004 - Desert Clearance[22]
  • 2003 - Sir Pentire[23]
  • 2002 - Grey Song[24]
  • 2001 - Big Pat[4]
  • 2000 - Teddy Bear[25]
  • 1999 - Sunday Gold[26]
  • 1998 - Bohemiath[27]
  • 1997 - Wexford[28]
  • 1996 - St Shannon[29]
  • 1995 - Count Chivas[30]
  • 1994 - Gossips[31]
  • 1993 - Headcutter[32]
  • 1992 - Dark Ksar[33]
  • 1991 - Shivas Revenge[34]
  • 1990 - Frontier Boy[35]
  • 1989 - Waiaupal[36]
  • 1988 - Full At Last[37]
  • 1987 - Sharks Fin[38]
  • 1986 - Enchanteur[39]
  • 1985 - Waratahbay[40]
  • 1984 - Katies Boy[41]
  • 1983 - Lady Plutus[42]
  • 1982 - Gurner's Lane
  • 1981 - Rio de Janeiro
  • 1980 - Shogun
  • 1979 - Rough N Tumble
  • 1978 - So Called
  • 1977 - Vacuum
  • 1976 - Lord Dudley
  • 1975 - Taras Bulba
  • 1974 - Herminia
  • 1973 - Godfather
  • 1972 - Stop The Show
  • 1971 - Trader
  • 1970 - Epidaurus
  • 1969 - King Pedro
  • 1968 - Agena
  • 1967 - Khalif
  • 1966 - Prince Grant
  • 1965 - Versailles
  • 1964 - Better Lad
  • 1963 - King Cobbler
  • 1962 - Hansie
  • 1961 - Reinsman
  • 1960 - Nilarco
  • 1959 - Chicola
  • 1958 - Tulloch
  • 1957 - Summalu
  • 1956 - Sailor's Guide
  • 1954 - Cromis
  • 1953 - Arbroath
  • 1952 - Hydrogen
  • 1951 - Midway
  • 1950 - Delta
  • 1949 - Comic Court
  • 1948 - Lungi
  • 1947 - Amelia
  • 1946 - Gay Lad
  • 1945 - New Yorker
  • 1944 - Lawrence
  • 1943 - Amazed
  • 1942 - High Road
  • 1941 - Tranquil Star
  • 1940 - Reading
  • 1939 - Tempest
  • 1938 - Hua
  • 1937 - Peerage
  • 1936 - Allunga
  • 1935 - Sylvandale
  • 1934 - †Hall Mark / Limarch[43]
  • 1933 - Oratory
  • 1932 - Middle Watch
  • 1931 - Veilmond
  • 1930 - Phar Lap[3]
  • 1929 - Strephon
  • 1927 - Epilogue
  • 1926 - Belgamba
  • 1925 - Spearfelt
  • 1924 - Sandringham
  • 1923 - Caserta
  • 1922 - Furious
  • 1921 - Nautical
  • 1920 - Artilleryman
  • 1919 - Eusebius
  • 1918 - Prince Viridis
  • 1917 - Colbert
  • 1916 - Patrobas
  • 1915 - Mountain Knight
  • 1914 - Radnor
  • 1913 - Wolawa
  • 1912 - Wilari
  • 1911 - Danaus
  • 1910 - Prince Foote
  • 1909 - Even Time
  • 1908 - Mountain King
  • 1907 - Poseidon[2]
  • 1906 - Lady Wallace
  • 1905 - Munderah
  • 1904 - Scottish King
  • 1903 - Abundance
  • 1902 - Grasspan
  • 1901 - Finland
  • 1900 - Parthian
  • 1899 - Bobadil
  • 1898 - Aurum
  • 1897 - The Officer
  • 1896 - Cabin Boy
  • 1895 - Preston
  • 1894 - Patron
  • 1893 - Culloden
  • 1892 - Strathmore
  • 1891 - Gibraltar
  • 1890 - Dreadnought
  • 1889 - Volley
  • 1888 - Abercorn
  • 1887 - Trident
  • 1886 - Matchlock
  • 1885 - Silver King
  • 1884 - Martini Henry
  • 1883 - Navigator
  • 1882 - Commotion
  • 1881 - Grand Flaneur
  • 1880 - Caspian
  • 1879 - Bosworth
  • 1878 - First King
  • 1877 - Adelaide
  • 1876 - Richmond
  • 1875 - Melbourne
  • 1874 - Sea Spray
  • 1873 - Blue Peter II
  • 1872 - Hamlet
  • 1871 - The Fawn
  • 1870 - Lamplighter
  • 1869 - Gasworks
  • 1868 - Fireworks
  • 1867 - Fishhook
  • 1866 - Angler
  • 1865 - Illumination
  • 1864 - Oriflamme
  • 1863 - Barwon
  • 1862 - Camden
  • 1861 - Presto
  • 1860 - Flying Buck
  • 1859 - Brownlock
  • 1858 - Fusilier
  • 1857 - Artaxerxes

† Dead heat

gollark: 100KST per account seems reasonable.
gollark: I don't think the rules should work that way, honestly.
gollark: The best part of fibre optic is that it has ***LASERS***, but with that approach the lasers are boring and far away.
gollark: It's fibre-to-nearby-box-then-copper.
gollark: BT's offering is in fact not proper fibre.

See also

The VRC St. Leger is one of a number of similar events around the world, although many are no longer restricted to three-year-olds. European variations include the Irish St. Leger, the Prix Royal-Oak, the Deutsches St. Leger and the St. Leger Italiano. Other national equivalents include the Kikuka Shō, the New Zealand St. Leger and the English St. Leger Stakes held at Doncaster.

References
  1. "Winners and Past Results for the St Leger Stakes". Pro Group Racing Australia. 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. "TODAY'S RACING. THE V.R.C. CARNIVAL. NEWMARKET HANDICAP. WON BY EBULLITION. (official 1907 result St. Leger Stakes)". The Barrier, Broken Hill. Trove Digital (Digitize). 4 March 1907. p. 1 (column 4). Retrieved 16 April 2013. Started at 1/12on and won by ​2 1⁄2 lengths in the time of 3m. 11s.
  3. "BIG RED SOUVENIRS". Phar Lap - The Story of Big Red. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  4. "2001 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 2001)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  5. 2007 result
  6. "Winners and Past Results for the St Leger Stakes". Pro Group Racing Australia. 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  7. "2005 Result – V R C St Leger (held 25 April 2005)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  8. "2020 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2020)". Racing (Aus). Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  9. "2019 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2019)". Racing (Aus). Retrieved 25 April 2019.
  10. "2018 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2018)". Racing (Aus). Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  11. "2017 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2017)". Racing (Aus). Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  12. "20165 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2016)". Racing Vic. (Aus). Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  13. "2015 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2015)". Racing Vic. (Aus). Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  14. "2014 Result – VRC St Leger (held 25 April 2014)". Racing Vic. (Aus). Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  15. 2013 result
  16. 2012 result
  17. 2011 result
  18. 2010 result
  19. 2009 result
  20. 2008 result
  21. 2006 result
  22. "2004 Result – V.R.C. St Leger (held 25 April 2004)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  23. "2003 Result – V.R.C. St Leger (held 25 April 2003)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  24. "2002 Result – V.R.C. St Leger (held 25 April 2002)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  25. "2000 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 2000)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  26. "1999 Result – V R C St. Leger (held 25 April 1999)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  27. "1998 Result – St. Leger (held 25 April 1998)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  28. "1997 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1997)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  29. "1996 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1996)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  30. "1995 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1995)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  31. "1994 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1994)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  32. "1993 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 1 May 1993)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  33. "1992 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1992)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  34. "1991 Result – St. Leger Stks (Vrc) (held 25 April 1991)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  35. "1990 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1990)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  36. "1989 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1989)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  37. "1988 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1988)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  38. "1987 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1987)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  39. "1986 Result – St. Leger Stks (held 25 April 1986)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  40. "1985 Result – St Leger Stks (held 25 April 1985)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  41. "1984 Result – St Leger Stks (held 25 April 1984)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  42. "1983 Result – St Leger Stks (held 25 April 1983)". breednet.com. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  43. Habel, Tim (26 April 2008). "VRC St Leger Stakes winners set for re-match". The Herald Sun, Melbourne. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
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