Saturday afternoon sees the final Classic of the 2025 season take place in Yorkshire as Doncaster rolls out the red carpet for the St Leger Stakes. Befitting a race of such status, the St Leger is backed by a four-day Festival of supporting action – kicking off on Thursday and concluding on Sunday.
Eight Group class events pepper the four days, over trips ranging from the minimum five furlongs up to the marathon 2m2½f of the Doncaster Cup. With contests for the juveniles, Classic generation, and older performers, the Town Moor track provides a big late-season target for many of the most talented horses in training.
Focusing on the juvenile division, the May Hill Stakes and Flying Childers Stakes set the ball rolling on days one and two. However, the most valuable two-year-old event of the meeting is the Champagne Stakes, which tops the undercard on St Leger Saturday.
First run in 1823, this seven-furlong contest fell to talents including Pretty Polly, Abernant, Grundy, Lear Fan, and Rodrigo de Triano in the 20th Century, and continues to attract runners with Group 1 aspirations. In 2025, punters are set for a classic Godolphin vs Coolmore clash, with both Charlie Appleby and Aidan O’Brien strongly represented in the current field.
Hat-trick-seeking Saba Heads Appleby Duo
First tasting Champagne Stakes success with Outstrip in 2013, Charlie Appleby grabbed a second win with Emotionless in 2015. Since then, Appleby has come no closer than when saddling Royal Crusade to finish second in 2019. Could this be the year Godolphin’s number one handler grabs the hat-trick?
Following wins on debut at Sandown and last time out in the Group 2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket, Saba Desert will land a hat-trick of his own if coming home in front. Sired by Godolphin flagbearer Dubawi and out of a Sea The Stars mare, Finespun, the likely mount of Billy Loughnane looks the part on paper and has done nothing wrong in two starts at the track.
Also sired by Dubawi, and out of the Cheveley Park Stakes-winning mare Lumiere, Pacific Avenue may boast the pedigree edge on his stablemate. Good enough to score on debut on the July Course, he came up short when fading into fourth in the Solario Stakes last time. The soft ground may not have suited on that occasion, but he will need to bounce back to land this contest.
Location, Location, Location for Aidan O’Brien
Coolmore’s current habit of naming their stars after global locations is firmly in evidence in the 2025 Champagne Stakes, with the Aidan O’Brien entry consisting of the following four colts:
- Italy – Wootton Bassett colt who finished just over a length behind Saba Desert in a messy edition of the Superlative Stakes. He had excuses that day, but again came up short in the Group 3 Acomb Stakes in August
- Dorset – By Wootton Bassett and out of a sister to the brilliant Winter, Dorset has yet to deliver on that pedigree potential. Having broken his maiden at the second time of asking at the Curragh, he managed only fifth in the Vintage Stakes last time
- Puerto Rico – With five previous starts, Puerto Rico is the most experienced of the ten remaining entries. On the downside, he is the only one of the O’Brien quartet who has yet to win a race. Twice second in Group 2 company and fourth in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes last time, he will need to improve for this first crack at seven furlongs
- Brussels – Beaten in the Group 2 July Stakes and last time out in Listed company at Tipperary, Brussels is the outsider of the field and may be more likely to line up in the sales race on the opening day
Gewan the One to Beat?
The powerhouse O’Brien and Appleby operations are responsible for 60% of the current field, but it is the unbeaten Andrew Balding runner Gewan who currently heads the market.
Sired by Night Of Thunder, Gewan broke his duck in style at Newbury in July. Upped in class for the Acomb Stakes last time out, he found more to pull clear of Italy in the closing stages. Balding won the Champagne Stakes for the only time with subsequent 2,000 Guineas champ Chaldean in 2022. The market suggests that the Kingsclere handler has every chance of doubling his tally in 2025.
John & Thady Gosden’s Frankel colt Oxygian, the hat-trick-seeking Cape Operator, and Ayr maiden winner Cape Ashizuri round out the list of challengers in what promises to be a compelling edition of this £150,000 contest.