The recognition of the 250th anniversary of the St Leger Stakes extends far beyond the racecourse. To mark this momentous occasion, Heritage Doncaster has been awarded funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver St Leger 250, a landmark programme celebrating the 250th anniversary of the world’s oldest Classic horse race.

Delivered in partnership with Doncaster Racecourse, Get Doncaster Moving and Visit Doncaster, the exciting programme explores Doncaster’s rich racing heritage while creating opportunities for communities, schools, visitors and racing enthusiasts to get involved in the celebrations throughout the summer and autumn.

Founded in 1776 by Anthony St Leger, the St Leger Stakes transformed the sport of horse racing and helped establish Doncaster as one of the most important racing towns in Britain.

As the first race of its kind for younger horses, the St Leger introduced a new competitive format that influenced racing for generations to come. Its inaugural winner, owned by the Marquess of Rockingham, created lasting links between the race and Doncaster’s Georgian heritage.

Over the last 250 years, the race has become internationally renowned, attracting legendary owners, jockeys and spectators from across the world. Today, the St Leger Festival remains one of Britain’s most celebrated racing events and an important part of Doncaster’s cultural identity.

Doncaster filmmaker Wayne Sables has been commissioned by Heritage Doncaster to create a digital exhibition that will be presented at the St Leger itself then also at Doncaster’s Danum Gallery and the Mansion House. 

An award-winning documentary maker and multi-media specialist, Wayne is currently in the midst of creating a timeline of the race, weaving in stories from those who have characterised the race over the years as well as those who have first-hand experiences and whom the St Leger has played such a significant role in their lives. 

The Leger 250 is something that has become very personal to the filmmaker who, despite having grown up in Doncaster, confesses to not being a racing fan or ever attending the great festival. One thing he discovered during his many interviews for the project is the legacy aspect to racing, which shapes so many people’s lives. 

“My grandfather was into horses but he passed away when I was really young so that never passed down,” Wayne recalls. “My father was never into it, it was never in my family heritage.

“I met a woman whose late husband took her on their first date to the St Leger and then he proposed there. I spoke to another woman who looks forward to it every year and gets dressed up but realised buying all these outfits was unsustainable – she’s now built a whole business around sustainable fashion.”

Wayne’s pathway into applying for the commission came in the most leftfield of ways.

“I read a story that the last horse to win the Triple Crown was a horse called Nijinksy in 1970,” he explains. “Nijinsky is the name of a famous ballet dancer from the early 20th century. I originally trained as a contemporary and ballet dancer and played his character when I was at university. For me, it’s this really weird merging of two of my lives.”

Taking unusual routes is nothing new for Wayne who studied contemporary dance and performance because he wanted to become a stuntman. Unsure of how to achieve this career goal, he accepted a job as a dancer and ended up being a performer and choreographer for ten years, juggling his time between the UK and New York. It was while in the Big Apple that he developed a curiosity about film-making, bought a camera and started making dance films.

Fast-forward to 2006 and the Wayne Sables Project was founded, becoming one of the region’s foremost multi-media companies over the last 20 years. Wayne’s specialism is documentary film-making – he’s produced everything from films on the Miners’ Strike to one on triathlons – but behind every project is a passion for story-telling.

“I think I’m nosy really, I’m obsessed by people’s stories,” he says.

It was this love of stories that really immersed Wayne into the St Leger history, although he is quick to point out that this project is just a snapshot of the St Leger’s history. Much of this history came from a chat with Tony Barber, whom we spoke to elsewhere in this magazine and regaled him with tales of the some of the race’s biggest characters, from royals and celebrities to jockeys and bookmakers. 

The Marquess of Rockingham and Anthony St Leger obviously feature and characters such as Fred Archer, Lester Piggott and Frankie Dettori all appear. One person who many may recognise, and is someone who was mentioned during my chat with Tony Barber, was Ras Prince Monolulu, a horse-racing tipster and something of an institution on the British racing scene from the 1920s until the time of his death. Born in the Danish West Indies (now the United States Virgin Islands), he came to the UK at the turn of the century – he wasn’t a prince at all – and became known for his colourful robes and feathered headdress as well as his slogan ‘I gotta horse!’. There was some confusion, though, on what he was offering, with some believing they were placing bets when they were only actually purchasing tips. He rose to prominence after picking out the winner Spion Kop in the 1920 Derby, which came in at the long odds of 100-6. 

As part of his interviews, Wayne met a woman whose aunt wrote poetry about Ras Prince Monolulu, which will now feature in the final digital installation. The rest of the feature will include these multiple interviews as well as animations by Wayne’s associate, Estelle Pearce, and performance art by We Great Ladies, whom the filmmaker has collaborated with throughout the project. 

We Great Ladies – Becky Newbould and Gemma Whelan – have worked with a number of schools and community projects in the Doncaster area to recreate some of those key moments in the St Leger’s history. 

Due to availability and budget constraints, archive footage has been harder to come by, although Wayne has worked with Doncaster Archives throughout the project. 

Despite not being a racing fan, this project has really stirred something in Wayne and is something he expects to continue to explore long after the 2026 winner has been crowned on 12 September. 

“I never thought I was interested in horse racing until I did this and now I’m fascinated by it,” Wayne beams. “And also if I’m honest, it’s enabled me to reconnect with Doncaster. To be able to find a new connection has been really phenomenal.”

A version of the film, along with other Leger 250 projects, is at the Danum Gallery until 7 November with the full version to be shown at the St Leger.