Who Were The Best St Leger Winners Based On Official Ratings? (Since 2014)

With the final of the British Classic horse races taking place this weekend – we look back at the last 10 St Leger winners and see who the best Doncaster horses were best on their official ratings at the time.

Best St Leger Winners Since 2014 Based On Ratings

There have been many top winners of the St Leger since 2014 – including three for the powerful Aidan O’Brien yard, who have seven overall success in the Doncaster Group One to their name.

During this 10 year period, we’ve also seen top jockeys Ryan Moore (3 wins) and Andrea Atzeni (2 wins) steer home 50% of the winners. While trainer Roger Varian gets a big mention too – with two wins (2022 and 2014).

However, since 2014 there have been three joint top-rated St Leger winners, who all landed the oldest English Classic off a mark of 120.

When Is The St Leger 2024?

📅Date: Saturday 14th September 2024
⌚Time: 3:40pm
🏇Racecourse: Doncaster
💰Winning Purse: £421,355
📺 TV: ITV and Racing TV

RELATED: St Leger 2024 Trends: Does Market Leader Illinois Tick The Key Doncaster Stats?

HURRICANE LANE (2021)

The 3 year-old Hurricane Lane gave trainer Charlie Appleby his first St Leger winner in 2021, but it was Godolphin’s seventh.

The ‘boys in blue’ also took the prize with Classic Cliche (1995), Nedwai (1998), Mutafaweq (1999), Rule Of Law (2004, Mastery (2009), Encke (2012).

Hurricane Lane’s St Leger win was also providing jockey William Buick with a third success after winning on Arctic Cosmos (2010) and Masked Marvel (2011).

After his St Leger win, Hurricane Lane raced six more times.

Including running third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe just three weeks after this Doncaster win.

However, the horse only won once more, which came Jockey Club Stakes in 2023 and was last seen finishing last of five in the Coronation Cup at Epsom later that same year.

CAPRI (2017)

The top-class staying grey Capri provided trainer Aidan O’Brien with his fourth St Leger winner in 2017. But the Irish handler has since gone onto win the prize twice more (7 in total).

Capri also provided jockey Ryan Moore with his debut St Leger win, which kickstarted two more successes in the race for the rider.

Since winning the 2017 St Leger as a 120-rated horse, Capri raced 13 more times – but remarkably on won once more.

That victory came at Naas in 2018, just two races after taking this English Classic. Meaning, unfortunately, the horse ended his career on an 11-race losing run.

KINGSTON HILL (2014)

The final top-rated St Leger winner since 2014 was the Roger Varian-trained Kingston Hill.

This Mastercraftsman horse was no stranger to winning at Doncaster. Having taken the Racing Post Trophy as a 2 year-old at the track in 2013.

The horse then ran second in the 2014 Epsom Derby to Australia and then finished fourth in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown.

However, he improved on both of those runs when stepped up in trip for the first time when winning the St Leger in 2014. He also went onto run a gallant fourth in the Arc at Longchamp that season.

Kingston Hill’s St Leger win also gave jockey Andrea Atzeni his first win in the race. And he backed it up with a win a year later on Simple Verse.

Trainer Roger Varian also went onto win the St Leger in 2022 with Eldar Eldarov.

The Lowest-Rated St Leger Winner Since 2014 Was Harbour Law

Over the last 10 runnings of the St Leger, the lowest-rated winner was the Laura Mongan-trained Harbour Law in 2016.

This St Leger winner was rated just 102, which is a full 18lbs lower than the top-rated winners listed above.

Harbour Law returned 22/1 that day with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK.

In a race the odds-on favourite that year (Idaho) stumbled and unseating his rider Seamie Heffernan about three furlongs from the line.

The now retired jockey George Baker did the steering on Harbour Law. While the win provided the Laura Mongan yard with by far their biggest horse racing success.

Recent St Leger Winners Since 2014 and Official Ratings