It is a little-known fact that Doncaster as a town attracts more day visitors than your typical tourist destinations including Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and its Yorkshire counterpart Harrogate.

Over a three-year period, between 2013 and 2015, 6. 46 million[1] people visited Doncaster for a day, or part of, and over this same period almost 200,000 of them visited the St Leger racing festival that takes place each September in the town.

“The visitor figures are quite startling and we are delighted that Doncaster Racecourse draws in such a huge crowd each September and showcases the very best of what Doncaster has to offer,” said Abby Chandler Head of Marketing at Doncaster Racecourse. “It is anticipated that both Ladies Day and Leger Day will once again be a sell out event and, as the Wednesday and Friday continue to attract more visitors’ year on year, we are hopeful that the 60,000 visitors we enjoyed last September will increase in 2017.”

The St Leger Classics race first took place in 1776 on Cantley Common and moved to its current home, Town Moor just two years later. Whilst the race has been run each year it has occasionally moved from its Doncaster home due to myriad reasons, including World Wars, subsidence and in 2006, the redevelopment of Doncaster Racecourse.

This year, Wednesday 13th will see Pepsi Max Leger Legends Day take place, whilst the finest fillies in the region flock to the course on Thursday for DFS Ladies Day. Friday is Gentleman’s Day, where male visitors are encouraged to dust down their finest attire in the hope of being crowned ‘Best Dressed Gent’ and the William Hill St Leger Day on Saturday is usually sold out as race goers flock to witness one of the highlights of the racing calendar, the William Hill St Leger Stakes.

Abby concluded; “The William Hill St Leger festival really does help to put Doncaster on the map and makes a significant contribution to visitor figures during the month of September. We look forward to another fantastic week of racing, events and music in the town and to welcoming racegoers from near and far to the fantastic Town Moor.”

To book tickets or find out further information please visit http://www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk/whats-on/fixtures/?mn=09&yr=2017 and to find out more about the William Hill St Leger Festival visit http://www.visitdoncaster.com/whats-on/st-leger-festival-2017