Former Team GB medallist and Doncaster local Sarah Stevenson MBE launches ‘St Leger Superstars’ competition to recognise local heroes

With just two weeks to go until the action begins in Paris, Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls will rightly receive adulation and attention from across Great Britain and Northern Ireland later this year. However, Stevenson and Doncaster Racecourse wants to do its bit to recognise and celebrate unsung heroes a bit closer to home by supplying VIP treatment to three distinguished guests who make the Betfred St Leger Festival so special.

Stevenson, who was born in Doncaster and attended the Don Valley High School in Scawthorpe, went onto win Team GB’s first ever Olympic medal in taekwondo, a bronze, at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Now a proud mum to Elsie and Stanley as well as the President of British Taekwondo, Sarah was made a Freeman of Doncaster in 2014.

Doncaster Racecourse is one of the oldest horse racing establishments in Britain. Every September it hosts the prestigious four-day Betfred St Leger Festival – often acclaimed as the premier sporting occasion of the Autumn calendar. This years’ festival kicks off with Betfred Ladies Day on Thursday 12 September. Tickets can be purchased at doncaster-racecourse.co.uk.

The three chosen St Leger Superstars – and their plus ones - will be VIP Guests of Honour during the Betfred St Leger Festival.

Their prize will include:

• Prestigious Guests of Honour title on Friday 13th September 2024

• Access for themselves and a guest in a private suite in the hospitality section, featuring a drinks reception, three-course meal and some of the best views across the course

• Access to the Parade Ring before, during and after a race where they’ll be interviewed by the on-course presenter about their achievements Nominations are now open for the public via http://www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk/competitions/st-leger-superstars.

All that’s needed is your name, contact details, the name of your nominee and a summary of why you think they deserve to be on the shortlist. The deadline for nominations is Monday 5th August at 17:00.

A judging panel consisting of Sarah Stevenson MBE, the Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones CBE and Executive Director of Doncaster Racecourse Rachel Harwood will then whittle the longlist down to a shortlist of five. The shortlist will then launch a campaign of their own to help them be crowned a ‘St Leger Superstar’.

Sarah Stevenson, former Team GB bronze medal winner and ‘St Leger Superstars’ judge, said: “For a couple of weeks, the Team GB athletes gain the nation’s heart and adoring eyes. We know there are locals out there who deserve the same – and more – as they put in similar levels of hard graft and dedication. “The St Leger Superstars competition is your chance to show your love for someone being a good Samaritan, doing a selfless good deed, or being an all-round stand-up human being. We want to celebrate what's great about the Betfred St Leger Festival. It’s our chance to make them feel like the superstar they are.”

Rachel Harwood, Executive Director at Doncaster Racecourse, said: “Being one of the oldest established centres for horse racing in Britain and staging the final Classic of the British flat racing season. Doncaster Racecourse is quite literally fit for royalty. We’ll be privileged to host our 2024 St Leger Superstars and recognise their achievements by ensuring they have an absolutely fantastic day at the races.”

Timelines for nominators and nominees to put in their diary include:

• Friday 12th July 09:00: Nominations for the longlist open. Two weeks until the opening day of Paris 2024

• Monday 5th August 17:00: Nominations for the longlist close. Exactly one month from entries being opened

• Wednesday 14th August: Vote for me to campaign to begin for five shortlisted nominees

• Wednesday 28th August: Vote for me campaign to finish

• Thursday 29th August: Final three winners to be revealed

• Friday 13th September: St Leger Superstars to be Guests of Honour at the “Best of British” day