Doncaster Racecourse its present location and in 1776 Colonel Anthony St. Leger founded a race in which five horses ran. This race has remained in existence and become the world's oldest classic horse race. During the first world war the racecourse was used for military purposes and substitute races were run at Newmarket from 1915 to 1918. Doncaster has the distinction of both starting and ending the flat season on turf. Every September, Doncaster hosts the prestigious four-day William Hill St. Leger Festival, which is acclaimed as the premier sporting occasion of the Autumn calendar. Doncaster has also taken over events whose
Toorak Handicap follow up by entering the G1 Emirates Stakes later in the Spring Carnival. Some of the classier thoroughbreds do extend in distance and are successful. Thoroughbreds that have won the Toorak Handicap – Caulfield Cup double: † Dead heat ‡ Run in divisions Toorak Handicap The Toorak Handicap is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run as an open handicap race, over a distance of 1,600 metres at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia. Currently, the prizemoney is A$500,000. The race is held annually in October on Caulfield Guineas day, the first day of the MRC Spring Carnival. During