The Portland Handicap is a flat handicap horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 5 furlongs and 143 yards (1,137 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
History The event was established in 1855, and for a period it was known as the Portland Plate. The original course started opposite a coaching inn called Red House, and it featured a left-handed bend at about halfway. The race was later transferred to a straight course.
The Portland Handicap is held during Doncaster's four-day St. Leger Festival, and it is currently staged on the third day, the same day as the St Leger Stakes.
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins): Halmahera – 2002, 2003, 2004
Leading jockey (5 wins): Brownie Carslake – Irish Elegance (1919), Glanmerin (1921), Tag End (1928), Polar Bear (1932), Rosemary's Pet (1934)
Leading trainer (5 wins): Richard Marsh – Lollypop (1876), Marvel (1892), Kilkerran (1897), Lucknow (1900), Dieudonne (1901)
Winners since 1900 Weights given in stones and pounds. Year Winner Age Weight Jockey Trainer SP Time 1900 Lucknow 5 7-04 Tod Sloan Richard Marsh JF 1:09.00 1901 Dieudonne 6 8-00 Danny Maher Richard Marsh 1:09.80 1902 Gladwin 3 6-03 Charlie Trigg Eugene Leigh 1903 Nabot 4 1904 Santry 3 7-13 Skeets Martin Philip Greusil 1905 Xeny 4 8-12 Danny Maher John Brewer 1906 Nero 3 6–05 Frank Wootton Peter Gilpin 1907 Woolley 5 6–07 Frank Wootton James Westlake 1908 The Welkin 4 7–09 Leslie Hewitt G Edwards 1909 Americus Girl 4 8-13 Danny Maher Philip Peebles F 1910 Hallaton 8 8-06 Danny Maher Richard Dawson F 1911 Stolen Kiss 4 8-00 Charlie Trigg Renwick 1:07.80 1912 Wethers Well 4 9–01 Steve Donoghue Jack Fallon 1:11.00 1913 Hornet's Beauty 5 9-09 Elijah Wheatley Felix Leach 1:09.40 1914 Flying Orb 3 7-11 Charlie Trigg Pat Hartigan 1915–18 no race 1919 Irish Elegance 4 10-02 Bernard Carslake Harry Cottrill F 1920 Pelops 3 7-12 Vic Smyth F Hunt 1:10.00 1921 Glanmerin 5 9-05 Bernard Carslake Samuel Pickering F 1:09.00 1922 Two Step 3 8-10 Herbert Jones Alec Taylor Jr. 1:14.40 1923 Polydipsia 6 8-05 William McLachlan Sr. Etienne De Mestre 1:08.20 1924 Heverswood 3 8-12 Charlie Elliott Jack Jarvis 1:12.00 1925 Diomedes 3 9-02 Jack Leach Harvey Leader F 1:07.60 1926 Sunstone 5 8-00 George Archibald Sr. Reg Day 1:09.00 1927 Mayrian 4 6-07 Arthur Wragg Walter Earl 1:11.80 1928 Tag End 4 9-00 Bernard Carslake Charles Peck 1:06.80 1929 Tag End 5 9-05 Freddie Fox Charles Peck F 1:08.20 1930 Polar Bear 3 8-09 Johnny Dines Harry Cottrill 1931 Xandover 4 9-07 Charlie Elliott Basil Jarvis F 1:11.80 1932 Polar Bear 5 8-08 Bernard Carslake Charles Peck 1:10.20 1933 Valkyrie 4 7–05 Tommy Barber Colledge Leader 1:08.40 1934 Rosemary's Pet 5 8-12 Bernard Carslake Charles Peck 1:05.60 1935 Shalfleet 4 9–07 Henri Jelliss Harvey Leader 1:09.20 1936 Shalfleet 5 9–02 Henri Jelliss Harvey Leader 1:09.40 1937 Carissa 3 8–03 Steve Donoghue Harry Peacock 1:09.60 1938 The Drummer 6 7-03 Doug Smith Billy Carr JF 1:09.00 1939–40 no race 1941 Comatas 4 8–11 Billy Nevett Ossie Bell 1:11.20 1942–45 no race 1946 The Shah 4 7-05 Joe Sime Bertie Bullock 1:11.20 1947 Good View 5 8–00 Michael Beary Evan Parker 1:08.60 1948 Gold Mist 3 7-12 Cliff Richards Noel Murless 1:09.20 1949 Le Lavandou 5 7-07 Percy Evans Gordon Johnson Houghton 1:09.60 1950 Paramount 4 8-09 Charlie Smirke Marcus Marsh 1:11.60 1951 Reminiscence 4 8-10 Charlie Smirke Walter Nightingall 1:10.00 1952 Stephen Paul 4 9–03 Gordon Richards Atty Persse F 1:08.40 1953 Reminiscence 6 8-08 Edgar Britt Jack Ormston 1:08.40 1954 Vilmoray 4 9-00 Tony Shrive Bertie Bullock 1:11.40 1955 Princely Gift 4 9–04 Lester Piggott Noel Murless F 1:07.80 1956 Epaulette 5 8-02 Willie Snaith Sam Armstrong 1:09.40 1957 Refined 3 8-10 Doug Smith Paddy Prendergast 1:13.20 1958 Welsh Abbot 3 9-02 Stan Clayton Walter Nightingall 1:06.20 1959 New World 6 7-03 Derrick Greening Toby Balding 1:06.00 1960 Accompanist 5 7-06 Derek Morris Freddie Maxwell 1:09.20 1961 Winna 4 7-02 Cliff Parkes Harry Wragg 1:07.80 1962 Harmon 3 8-02 Scobie Breasley Rufus Beasley 1:07.60 1963 Marcher 3 8-09 Ron Hutchinson Dave Hanley 1:07.20 1964 Comefast 5 7–13 Eddie Hide J Vickers 1:08.80 1965 Go Shell 3 8-07 Doug Smith Bernard van Cutsem 1:13.60 1966 Audrey Joan 3 7-03 Sandy Barclay Eric Cousins 1:07.80 1967 Florescence 3 8–13 Bill Williamson Frank Armstrong 1:06.80 1968 Gold Pollen 3 7-07 Ernie Johnson Ryan Jarvis F 1:11.40 1969 Mountain Call 4 8–11 Lester Piggott Bernard van Cutsem F 1:08.60 1970 Virginia Boy 4 7-01 Dennis McKay Doug Smith 1:10.20 1971 Royben 3 8-06 Bill Williamson Scobie Breasley 1:07.30 1972 Privateer 6 8-01 Eddie Hide Bill Wightman 1:09.54 1973 Supreme Gift 3 8-06 Jock Wilson Brian Swift F 1:07.84 1974 Matinee 3 8–11 Frankie Durr Jack Clayton 1:11.41 1975 Walk By 3 8–10 Eddie Hide Bill Wightman 1:09.96 1976 Hei'land Jamie 5 7–13 Terry McKeown Neil Adam 1:10.34 1977 Jon George 3 7–12 Willie Carson Mick Easterby F 1:08.59 1978 Goldhills Pride 4 8–10 Kevan Leason Tommy Craig 1:09.13 1979 Oh Simmie 4 7-00 B. Jones Reg Hollinshead 1:08.29 1980 Swelter 4 8-02 Philip Robinson Frankie Durr 1:10.29 1981 Touch Boy 5 8–11 Tony Ives Jack Berry 1:08.55 1982 Vorvados 5 8–13 Lester Piggott Michael Haynes 1:09.06 1983 Out of Hand 4 7-03 Steve Dawson D. Dale 1:07.50 1984 Dawn's Delight 6 7-08 Lindsay Charnock Ken Ivory 1:09.71 1985 Lochtillum 6 8-01 Ray Cochrane Jamie Douglas-Home 1:08.71 1986 Felipe Toro 3 8-02 John Lowe Peter Easterby F 1:06.65 1987 Dawn's Delight 9 8–13 Michael Wigham Ken Ivory 1:09.32 1988 Roman Prose 3 9-03 Ian Johnson Les Cottrell 1:07.29 1989 Craft Express 3 8-09 Bobby Elliott Mark Johnston 1:09.78 1990 Love Legend 5 8-07 Alan Munro David Arbuthnot 1:09.06 1991 Sarcita 3 8-06 Willie Carson David Elsworth F 1:07.08 1992 Lochsong 4 8–12 Willie Carson Ian Balding F 1:07.78 1993 Amron 6 9-00 Nicky Carlisle Jack Berry 1:08.12 1994 Hello Mister 3 8–10 Pat McCabe Jack O'Donoghue 1:07.84 1995 Hello Mister 4 8-07 Pat McCabe Jack O'Donoghue F 1:06.62 1996 Musical Season 4 8-05 Kevin Darley David Barron 1:07.94 1997 Dashing Blue 4 9–12 Kevin Darley Ian Balding 1:06.67 1998 Cadeaux Cher 4 8-07 Ray Cochrane Barry Hills 1:09.88 1999 Astonished 3 9-06 Kieren Fallon John Hammond F 1:08.34 2000 Compton Banker 3 8-08 Frankie Dettori Gerard Butler F 1:08.51 2001 Smokin Beau 4 9-04 Matthew Henry John Cullinan 1:08.09 2002 Halmahera 7 8–13 Darryll Holland Kevin Ryan F 1:07.23 2003 Halmahera 8 9-04 Frankie Dettori Kevin Ryan 1:09.31 2004 Halmahera 9 9–10 Neil Callan Kevin Ryan 1:05.64 2005 Out After Dark 4 8–12 Adam Kirby Clive Cox 1:07.26 2006 Fantasy Believer 8 8–13 Jimmy Quinn John Quinn 1:02.44 2007 Fullandby 5 8–13 P. J. McDonald Tim Etherington 1:06.63 2008 Hogmaneigh 5 9-06 Saleem Golam Stuart Williams 1:08.55 2009 Santo Padre 5 9-01 Colm O'Donoghue David Marnane 1:06.72 2010 Poet's Place 5 9-04 Phillip Makin David Barron F 1:07.79 2011 Nocturnal Affair 5 9-05 Neil Callan David Marnane 1:06.69 2012 Doc Hay 5 8–11 Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara 1:06.01 2013 Angels Will Fall 4 9-02 Robert Winston Charlie Hills 1:08.14 2014 Muthmir 4 9-07 Paul Hanagan William Haggas F 1:05.38 2015 Steps 7 9-07 Louis Steward Roger Varian 1:08.79 2016 Captain Colby 4 9-00 William Buick Ed Walker 1:06.91 2017 Spring Loaded 5 8-09 Joey Haynes Paul D'Arcy 1:06.81 2018 A Momentofmadness 5 9-04 William Buick Charles Hills 1:06.04 2019 Oxted 3 9-04 Cieren Fallon Roger Teal 1:06.31 2020 Stone of Destiny 5 9-00 Silvestre de Sousa Andrew Balding 1:06.67 2021 Hurricane Ivor 4 9–10 Tom Marquand William Haggas F 1:08.56 2022 Call Me Ginger 6 8-07 Amie Waugh Jim Goldie 1:08.27 2023 Annaf 4 9–12 Rossa Ryan Michael Appleby 1:07.53 2024 American Affair 4 8–13 Paul Mulrennan Jim Goldie F 1:06.27 2025 Eternal Sunshine 5 7–13 Lauren Young Jim Goldie 1:07.03 2026 Air Force One 5 9-07 Clifford Lee Geoff Oldroyd 11/2 1:07.16
Earlier winners
1855: Manganese 1856: Lance 1857: Meta 1858: The Ancient Briton 1859: Tight-fit 1860: Tattoo 1861: Lady Clifden 1862: Queen of Trumps 1863: Welland 1864: Persuasion 1865: Kilkenny 1866: Skylark 1867: Bounceaway 1868: Lady Zetland 1869: Argyle 1870: Oxonian 1871: St Vincent 1872: Little Nell 1873: Grand Flaneur 1874: Genevieve 1875: Grand Flaneur 1876: Lollypop 1877: Rosbach 1878: Telescope 1879: Hackthorpe 1880: Discount 1881: Mowerina 1882: Martini 1883: Lowland Chief 1884: Leeds 1885: Dalmeny 1886: Modwena 1887: Lisbon 1888: Goldseeker 1889: Galloping Queen 1890: L'Abbesse de Jouarre 1891: Tostig 1892: Marvel 1893: Whisperer 1894: Grey Leg 1895: Whiston 1896: Grig 1897: Kilkerran 1898: Eager 1899: Mazeppa
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References
Paris-Turf:
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , galopp-sieger.de – Portland Handicap.
External links Race Recordings (1971, 1977, 1980, 1982-2016) youtube.com