Doncaster Racecourse 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 Doncaster Cup 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 Goodwood Cup and Ascot Gold Cup, the Doncaster Cup is part of Britain's Stayers' Triple Crown for horses capable of running longer distances. The St Leger Stakes Ten years later the Racecourse moved to
William St Leger William St Leger Sir William St Leger (1586 – 2 July 1642) was an Anglo-Irish landowner, official and soldier active in Ireland. He was the son of Sir Warham St Leger (died 1600) and his wife Elizabeth Rothe of Kilkenny, grandson of William St Leger and a great grandson of Anthony St Leger, Lord Deputy of Ireland. He was probably born in County Cork. When he was 14 his father and Hugh Maguire (Lord of Fermanagh) fatally wounded each other in single combat near Cork city. He took part in the Flight of the Earls in 1607, when Hugh O'Neill,