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VRC St Leger

Australia | FEATURE RACE GUIDE

History

DUNWOODY winning the VRC St Leger at Sandown in Australia.
DUNWOODY winning the VRC St Leger at Sandown in Australia. Picture: Racing Photos

The VRC St Leger is a Listed Race for three-year-old conducted by the Victoria Racing Club usually at Flemington.

The VRC St Leger is one of the oldest classic races in Australia, being run for the first time in 1857, two years after the first Victoria Derby and four years before the first AJC Derby and Melbourne Cup.

The VRC St Leger was the principal 3YO race on the opening day of the VRC autumn meeting at Flemington until 1972 when the race was transferred to ANZAC Day in April.

Since 1972 the VRC St Leger steadily declined in importance and prestige but remains a race still carrying the historic St Leger name in Australia.

It was a Group 2 race from 1980-1990 and Group 3 from 1991- 2005. It was downgraded to a Listed Race in 2006.

The VRC St Leger was run under set weights until 1998. Since 1999 it was run under set weights with penalties but is back to set weights now.

The distance of the VRC St Leger from 1857 until 1972 was 14 furlongs and 132 yards. Since 1973 the distance has been 2800m with the exceptions of 1975 (2700m) and 2001 and 2005 when it was run at Moonee Valley over 2500m due to redevelopment work at Flemington.

In 2023 the race was delayed five days and run at Sandown over 3000m as a mark of respect for the late Dean Holland who died in a race fall the day before it was due to be run.

In an effort to promote the Australian thoroughbred breeding industry the VRC St Leger banned geldings from competing in the VRC St Leger from 1932 until 1956.

Since 1930 eight fillies have won the VRC St Leger including a dead heat between Inkster and Moment In Time in 2008.

Bart Cummings trained seven winners of the VRC St Leger. Tommy Smith trained six winners. Gai Waterhouse (and more recently with Adrian Bott) has won five of the last ten runnings.

The 2023 VRC St Leger was run for prizemoney of $300,000.

The VRC St Leger in its golden years was a revered classic won by some of Australia's greatest champions including numerous Melbourne Cup winners.

The notable winners on the VRC St Leger honour roll include Phar Lap, Grand Flaneur, Poseidon, Hall Mark, Tranquil Star, Tulloch, Comic Court, Delta, Gurner's Lane, Sailor's Guide, Martini-Henri, Abercorn, Prince Foote, Patrobas, Artilleryman, Furious, Spearfelt, Trivalve, Hua, Hydrogen, Prince Grant, Taras Bulba, Lord Dudley, So Called, Shiva's Revenge and Alegron.

The 2023 VRC St Leger was won by Dunwoody from Highland Blaze and Midnight Glow.


Racing and Sports

Previous VRC St Leger Winners

Date Horse Jockey WT Trainer BP
DUNWOODY (NZ) 3G
PREFERMENT (NZ) - QUEEN OUIJA (AUS) STREET CRY (IRE)
JORDAN CHILDS 58.0 MATTHEW CUMANI 10
ALEGRON (AUS) 3G
TEOFILO (IRE) - ALEGRIA (AUS) MEDAGLIA D'ORO (USA)
DAMIEN OLIVER 58.0 JAMES CUMMINGS 9
THROUGH IRISH EYES (NZ) 3G
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - ZAPURPLE (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ)
M J ZAHRA 58.0 C MAHER & D EUSTACE 2
SACRAMENTO (AUS) 3G
PIERRO (AUS) - ALZORA (AUS) REDOUTE'S CHOICE (AUS)
B MELHAM 58.0 G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT 4
TRANSACT (AUS) 3G
DUNDEEL (NZ) - RAP TALE (USA) TALE OF THE CAT (USA)
L CURRIE 57.0 G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT 10
RUNAWAY (AUS) 3G
MANHATTAN RAIN (AUS) - CATSHAAN (AUS) CATRAIL (USA)
S BASTER 56.0 G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT 2
DORNIER (AUS) 3G
ARTIE SCHILLER (USA) - DELORAINE (AUS) MORE THAN READY (USA)
JORDAN CHILDS 56.0 JOHN MOLONEY 10
COOL CHAP (AUS) 3G
HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - CHERISHING (USA) JOHANNESBURG (USA)
D W STACKHOUSE 56.0 LEE & ANTHONY FREEDMAN 10
AUTHORITARIAN (AUS) 3G
AUTHORIZED (IRE) - SPECIAL DREAM (AUS) STRAVINSKY (USA)
DANIEL MOOR 56.0 LEE & ANTHONY FREEDMAN 4
ORDER OF THE SUN (AUS) 3G
ENCOSTA DE LAGO (AUS) - SEQUIN (AUS) LURE (USA)
CHAD SCHOFIELD 56.0 MS G WATERHOUSE 4
HIPPOPUS (NZ) 3G
HIGH CHAPARRAL (IRE) - STRAIGHT EIGHT (NZ) DANSKE (NZ)
CRAIG WILLIAMS 56.0 MS G WATERHOUSE 1
VATUVEI (AUS) 3G
RESET (AUS) - BOISTEROUS LADY (AUS) RIVOTIOUS (USA)
L NOLEN 56.0 PETER G MOODY 14
RIGHT OF REFUSAL (AUS) 3G
REFUSE TO BEND (IRE) - MELINDA (AUS) QUEST FOR FAME (GB)
M J WALKER 55.0 NIGEL BLACKISTON 3
EXCEPTIONALLY (NZ) 3F
EKRAAR (USA) - SAHAYB (NZ) ZABEEL (NZ)
D NIKOLIC 53.5 TERRY & KARINA O'SULLIVAN 1
BERLIOZ (NZ) 3G
ZABEEL (NZ) - JERVAUX (AUS) SLAVIC (USA)
B RAWILLER 55.5 D A HAYES 1
MOMENT IN TIME (AUS) 3F
ARCHWAY (IRE) - CONCLUDING (AUS) KENNY'S BEST PAL (AUS)
DAMIEN OLIVER 54.5 MICK HUXTABLE 8
INKSTER (AUS) 3F
UMATILLA (NZ) - DELGARA (AUS) DELGADO (USA)
M GATT 53.0 MICK PRICE 7
LAZER SHARP (AUS) 3G
ZARIZ (AUS) - SCADABBA (AUS) SCENIC (IRE)
V DURIC 55.5 JAMIE EDWARDS 11
DOLPHIN JO (AUS) 3G
DOLPHIN STREET (FR) - HIGH RENT (AUS) BELLIGERENT (AUS)
N RAWILLER 56.5 TERRY O'SULLIVAN 1
ACCUMULATE (NZ) 3G
ZABEEL (NZ) - ENHANCER (NZ) RED TEMPO (NZ)
B SHINN 55.5 BART CUMMINGS 1
DESERT CLEARANCE (NZ) 3G
DESERT PRINCE (IRE) - BETTER CLEARANCE (CAN) CRYPTOCLEARANCE (USA)
L NOLEN 54.5 PETER G MOODY 13
SIR PENTIRE (NZ) 3G
PENTIRE (GB) - PRIVILEGE (NZ) SIR TRISTRAM (IRE)
N RAWILLER 55.5 ROBBIE LAING 5
GREY SONG (AUS) 3G
UNBRIDLED'S SONG (USA) - TONZAZIP (NZ) KAAPSTAD (NZ)
DAMIEN OLIVER 56.5 T J HUGHES 10
BIG PAT (AUS) 3G
FULL AND BY (NZ) - PUT IN PLACE (NZ) HYPERBOREAN (USA)
P MERTENS 56.5 PETER TULLOCH 15
TEDDY BEAR (AUS) 3G
TURTLE ISLAND (IRE) - IMPART (AUS) SIR TRISTRAM (IRE)
D NIKOLIC 54.5 GERARD MOLONEY 10

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