The flat season gets underway this weekend at Doncaster - what else do we have to look forward to in the flat calandar?
The new flat racing season in the UK and Ireland is set to begin with the exciting Lincoln Meeting at Doncaster on Saturday, featuring the renowned Lincoln Handicap as its highlight.
This action-packed season will run through to the Futurity Trophy Meeting, returning to Doncaster in late October.
What date does the flat racing season start?
Flat racing takes place year-round in the UK and Ireland, thanks to all-weather tracks, but this Saturday, 29th March, marks the eagerly awaited start of the turf flat racing season at Doncaster, kicking off with a curtain-raiser event, the Lincoln Handicap.
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When does the Flat Jockeys Championship start?
The Flat Jockeys’ Championship in the UK traditionally begins at the start of the Guineas Festival at Newmarket, which marks the official kick-off for the jockeys’ title race. For 2025, this is scheduled for Saturday, May 3, when the QIPCO 2000 Guineas takes place. The championship runs from this date until British Champions Day at Ascot, expected to be Saturday, October 18, 2025, and is decided by the jockey with the most wins across both turf and all-weather flat races during this period.
Who won the Flat Jockeys Championship in 2024?
The winner of the Flat Jockeys’ Championship in 2024 was Oisin Murphy, marking his fourth championship win, having previously triumphed in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
William Buick, the two-time defending Flat Jockeys’ champion, claimed the title in 2022 and 2023, achieving an impressive 157 and 135 winners respectively. Before Buick’s reign, Oisin Murphy dominated as champion in 2019, 2020, and 2021, while Silvestre De Sousa secured victories in three of the four prior years (2015, 2017, and 2018), with Jim Crowley interrupting the streak by winning in 2016.
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Flat Season 2025 Calandar & Key Dates
March
Late March (March 29): Lincoln Handicap at Doncaster - Traditionally marks the start of the flat turf season in the UK.
May
May 3: QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket (Rowley Mile) - The first of the five British Classics, a Group 1 race for three-year-old colts and fillies, run over 1 mile.
May 4: QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket (Rowley Mile) - The second Classic, a Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies, also run over 1 mile.
June
June 6: Oaks at Epsom Downs - The third Classic, a Group 1 race for three-year-old fillies, run over 1 mile 4 furlongs.
June 7: Derby at Epsom Downs - The fourth Classic and arguably the most prestigious flat race in Britain, a Group 1 event for three-year-old colts and fillies, run over 1 mile 4 furlongs.
June 17-21: Royal Ascot - A world-renowned five-day meeting featuring multiple Group 1 races, including the Gold Cup, St James’s Palace Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes, Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Coronation Stakes, and Commonwealth Cup. While not a Classic, it’s a pinnacle of the flat season.
July
July 12: July Cup at Newmarket (July Course) - A major Group 1 sprint race over 6 furlongs, one of the highlights of the summer season.
July 26: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot - A premier Group 1 race over 1 mile 4 furlongs, open to horses aged three and up, often featuring Classic winners.
August
August 20-23: Ebor Festival at York - Includes the Ebor Handicap and key Group 1 races like the Yorkshire Oaks (August 21) and the Nunthorpe Stakes (August 22), showcasing top flat racing talent.
September
September 13: William Hill St Leger at Doncaster - The fifth and final Classic, a Group 1 race for three-year-old colts and fillies, run over 1 mile 6 furlongs and 115 yards. It’s the oldest of the Classics, dating back to 1776, and concludes the Triple Crown series (2000 Guineas, Derby, St Leger).
October
October 18: British Champions Day at Ascot - The climax of the British flat season, featuring top Group 1 races like the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, Champion Stakes, and British Champions Sprint. Not a Classic, but a defining event for the season’s champions.
Late October (October 25): Futurity Trophy at Doncaster - A key Group 1 race for two-year-olds, often a predictor of future Classic contenders, marking one of the last major turf events.
