St Leger (Irish greyhound race)

For other uses, see Saint-Léger.

The St Leger is a greyhound racing competition held annually at Limerick Greyhound Stadium at Greenpark, Dock Road, Limerick, Ireland.^[1] The competition is an original classic race^[2] and was inaugurated in 1932 at Celtic Park in Belfast following the decision by the Irish Coursing Club to issue a new list of classic races.^[3]

Irish St Leger

1984 champion Morans Beef
Class	Feature
Location	Limerick Greyhound Stadium
Inaugurated	1932
Sponsor	Will We Go
Race information
Distance	550 yards
Surface	Sand
Purse	€30,000 (winner)

As was the practice at the time the Bord na gCon switched the event each year to a different track. Clonmel Greyhound Stadium, Shelbourne Park and Harolds Cross all played host ^[4] before it found a permanent home at the old Markets Field Greyhound Stadium in Limerick in 1944.^[5]

Venues & Distances

• Celtic Park (1932, 1943 550y)
• Clonmel (1933 550y)
• Shelbourne Park (1934, 1936, 1938, 1939 550y)
• Harolds Cross (1935, 1937, 1942 550y)
• Limerick (1940 & 1944-present 550y)

Sponsors

• 1982–1987 (Smithwick's)
• 1988–1990 (Kantoher Co-op)
• 1991–2001 (Golden Vale)
• 2002–2017 (Kerry Agribusiness)
• 2018–2018 (Barking Buzz App)
• 2019–2020 (Friends of Limerick)
• 2021–2022 (Matchbook Betting Exchange)
• 2023–2024 (Will We Go)

Past winners

Year	Winning Greyhound	Breeding	Time	Trainer	SP	Notes/ref
1932	Castle Eve	Fourth of July – Sally's Gossip	32.08
1933	Brilliant Bob	Other Days – Birchfield Bessie	31.53
1934	Chicken Sandwich	Heros Heart – Moor Girl	31.59			Track record
1935	Carras Son	Rubio – Cara	31.82
1936	Moresby	Roving Bunty – False Colleen	31.68
1937	Cheers For Ballyduff	Hes Next – Normans Fancy	31.42
1938	Abbeylara	Prudent Turn – Thats The Why	31.61
1939	Negros Crown	Prudent Turn – Negros Pet	31.77
1940	Cherrygrove Cross	Rejected Light – Dohora Lass	31.82
1942	Monarch of the Glen	Carolina Prince – Turn of the Glen	31.28
1943	Monarch of the Glen	Carolina Prince – Turn of the Glen	31.48
1944	No Relation	Sweeping Cut – Halycon Heart	31.48
1945	Dark Shadow	Ruby Border – Coming Now	31.37			Track record
1946	Star Point	Bawnmore Lad – Bright Duckling	31.55
1947	Pouleen Boy	Another White Sandhills – Broken Weir	31.92
1948	Beau Lion	Another Dancing Willie - Brevity	31.52		5/2	[6]
1949	Ballybeg Surprise	Mad Tanist – My Little Diamond	31.55
1950	Maddest Daughter	Clounehard Border – Maddest Yet	31.55
1951	Ellas Ivy	Ivy Reef – Mara Lass	31.08
1952	Silver Earl	King Silver – Ardmachree Eliza	31.25
1953	Gortaleen	Shaggy Lad – Magic Maid	31.26
1954	Mount Nagle Surprise	Ballybeg Surprise – Mount Nagle Girl	31.10
1955	Doonmore Dreamer	Wee Chap – Again Ballyglass	30.98
1956	Prince of Bermuda	Champion Prince – Sunora	30.66	Ger McKenna		Track record
1957	Kilcaskin Kern	Magourna Reject – Pavona	31.05
1958	Firgrove Snowman [7]	The Grand Champion – Firgrove Swallow	31.28
1959	Ocean Swell	Glittering Look – Don't Ask	31.18
1960	Swanlands Best	Man Of Pleasure – Swanland's Neighbour	31.60	Ger McKenna
1961	Jerrys Clipper	Jerry's Special – Glittering Queenie	31.10	Jerry O'Dea
1962	Apollo Again	Knockrour Again – Redondo Beach	31.26	Ger McKenna
1963	General Courtnowski	Man Of Pleasure – Yoblstrap	31.12
1964	Brook Jockey	Jockey's Glen – Endurance	31.66	P Boyce
1965	Lovely Chieftain	Knockhill Chieftain – Lovely Sister	30.92	Ger McKenna
1966	Movealong Santa	Champion Tipp – Movelong Sally	30.92
1967	Yanka Boy	Clonalvy Pride – Millie Hawthorn	30.77	Ger McKenna
1968	Pools Punter	Oregon Prince – Wild Countess	30.88		9/2
1969	Own Pride	Always Proud – Kitty True	30.95	Ger McKenna
1970	Mark Anthony	Prairie Flash - Shandaroba	31.02	Tom Lynch	6/1	[8]
1971	Time Up Please	Newdown Heather – Dogstown Fame	30.56	Ger McKenna		[9]
1972	Time Up Please	Newdown Heather – Dogstown Fame	31.05	Ger McKenna		[9]
1973	Romping To Work	Swanky Pa – Go To Work	31.04	Larry Kelly		[10]
1974	Lively Band	Silver Hope – Kells Queen	31.20	Jack Murphy
1975	Ballybeg Prim	Rockfield Era – Ballybeg Pride	30.44	Ger McKenna		Track record[11]
1976	Nameless Star	Rita’s Choice – Itsastar	30.62	Ger McKenna
1977	Red Rasper	Own Pride – Miss Honeygar	31.15	Ger McKenna
1978	Rhu	Sole Aim – RigsdaleKuda	31.44	Matt O'Donnell
1979	Airmount Champ	Hunday Champion – Winnies Call	31.20	Paddy Keane	5/1	[12]
1980	Rahan Ship [13]	Rail Ship – Rwanyena	30.72	Johnny Haynes
1981	Oran Jack	Yellow Band – Spooky Lady	30.62	Rose Grealish
1982	Supreme Tiger	Knockrour Tiger-Rising Tide	30.44	Matt O'Donnell
1983	The Stranger	Dark Mercury – Lovely Blend	31.04	Christy O'Callaghan
1984	Morans Beef	Noble Brigg – Rathkenny Bride	30.06	Ger McKenna
1985	Ballintubber One	Killaclug Jet – Ballintubber Peg	30.42	Matt O'Donnell
1986	Storm Villa	Aulton Villa – Storm Island	30.65	Matt O'Donnell	1/1f	[14]
1987	Randy	Aulton Villa – Melanie	30.23	Christy Daly	5/2	[15]
1988	Local Kate	Wise Band – Local Nell	31.04	Maurice Leahy	14/1	[16]
1989	Dereen Star	Moral Support – Summer Crab	30.24	Matt O'Donnell		[17]
1990	Alan's Judy	I'm Slippy – Fairy Lawn	30.42	E. McMahon		[18]
1991	Castleland Dream	Powerstown Pax – Sail On Witch	30.22	Christy O'Callaghan	5/2	[19]
1992	Barefoot Dash	Willie Joe – Kilmorna Pearl	30.40	Matt O'Donnell		[20]
1993	Barefoot Marty	I'm Slippy – Cheeky Carmaur	30.54	Fraser Black		[21]
1994	Kilvil Skinner	Mathews Gold – Keeleys Friend	30.84	Peter Pattinson
1995	Batties Spirit	Batties Whisper – Lady Arrancourt	30.42	Matt O'Donnell	7/4f	[22]
1996	Airmount Rogue	Glen Park Dancer – Airmount Kelly	29.89	Gerald Kiely	6/1	[23]
1997	Fire Fly	Leaders Minstrel – Mark of Relief	30.36	AD Marshall	9/2	[24]
1998	Deerfield Sunset	Vintage Prince - Sunset Blonde	30.03	Joe Kenny	5/4f
1999	Frisby Flashing	Frightful Flash – Centenarys Dream	29.64	Reggie Roberts	1/1f	Track record[25]
2000	Extra Dividend	Sassy Boy – Sunshine Penny	29.79	Dolores Ruth	8/1	[26]
2001	Droopys Kewell	Larkhill Jo – Perrys Pusher	30.37	Michael Dunphy	5/2	[27]
2002	Larking About	Larkhill Jo – Rockys Whisper	29.73	Paul Hennessy	9/4f	[28]
2003	Mountleader Rolf	Smooth Rumble – Mountleader Diva	30.01	Geraldine O'Mahony	5/2	[29]
2004	Never Give Up	Spiral Nikita – Dalcash Lament	29.88	Pat Buckley	7/1	[30]
2005	Redbarn Panther	Jamella Tiger - Itsabouttimerose	29.72	Liam Egan	4/1	[31]
2006	Indesacjack	Pacific Mile – JasonsSmokie	29.66	Jim Morrissey	2/1f	[32]
2007	Lughill Jo	Larkhill Jo – Lughill Rose	29.37	Owen McKenna	3/1	[33]
2008	Boherash Gaoithe	World Class – Boherash Charity	29.71	Joan Hanrahan	14/1	[34]
2009	Bar Blackstone	Head Bound – Blackstone Sky	29.62	Sean Dunphy	2/1jf	[35]
2010	Farley Turbo	Hondo Black – Blue Honey	29.57	Owen McKenna	3/1	Track record[36]
2011	What A Tornado	Crash – Natural Energy	29.58	Paul Hennessy	7/4f	[37]
2012	Cashen Mafuma	Cashen Legend – Shakira Live	29.57	Chris Houlihan	8/1	[38]
2013	Locnamon Bridie	Royal Impact – Locnamon Nell	29.34	Paul Hennessy	3/1jf	[39]
2014	Paradise Silva	Hondo Black – Dalcash Diva	29.50	Pat Buckley	6/4f	[40]
2015	Skywalker Rory	Skywalker Puma – Tarsna Sal	29.47	Patrick Guilfoyle	7/2	[41]
2016	Priceless Brandy	Mall Brandy – Tullowmac Java	29.30	Paul Hennessy	4/5f	[42]
2017	Clonbrien Hero	Razldazl Jayfkay – Trout or Salmon	29.60	Graham Holland	5/2jf	[43]
2018	Blastoff Jet	Droopys Jet – Blastoff Annie	29.65	Philip Buckley	5/1	[44]
2019	Ballymac Anton	Ballymac Best – Coolavanny Angie	29.53	Liam Dowling	4/1	[45]
2020	Epic Hero	Droopys Jet – Ravenna	29.44	Thomas O'Donovan	No SP	due to COVID-19[46]
2021	Ballymac Merlin	Vulturi – Ballymac Belle	29.68	Liam Dowling	8/1	[47]
2022	Bobsleigh Dream	Droopys Sydney – Bobsleigh Jet	29.84	Pat Buckley	11/8f	[48]
2023	Clonbrien Treaty	Pestana – Clonbrien Millie	29.51	Graham Holland	5/4f	[49]
2024	Clonbrien Treaty	Pestana – Clonbrien Millie	29.28	Graham Holland	5/4f	Record time for final[50]