Local Legends: Double Trigger’s Doncaster Cups
This week another name will be etched into the lore of British Racing when the oldest British Classic, the St Leger, is ran at Doncaster on Saturday.
With racing taking place throughout the year on Town Moor, there are plenty of opportunities to win at Doncaster but rarely do you find horses befitting of local legend status. A name that resonates with followers of British racing and Doncaster, Double Trigger certainly fits ‘legend’ billing.
A stunning statue of Double Trigger welcomes all to Town Moor beside the Lazarus Grandstand and a bar inside the racecourse to allows a toast to the great horse with every order. Picture provided by Doncaster Racecourse.
Trained by Mark Johnston and owned by Ron Huggins, Double Trigger raced a total of 29 times, winning a remarkable 14 of them with 12 at group level. Double Trigger’s Doncaster record was in itself mightily impressive, running five times; four of which were in the Doncaster Cup returning three wins with the other run being in the St Leger itself as a three-year-old.
‘Trigger’ as he was affectionately known was immortalised into racing history in 1995 by completing the stayers’ triple crown—Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Doncaster Cup.
This final leg of the stayers’ triple crown at Doncaster was the first of his three Doncaster Cups. Ridden on that occasion by Jason Weaver, Trigger delighted racegoers with a comprehensive victory at odds of 4-11. The breath-taking win is available to view again here.
‘Few horses in history have displayed in such full measure the class, courage, stamina and durability that were his hallmarks’—Tony Morris, Racing Post assessment’
Renewals of the Doncaster Cup in 1996 and 1998 brought two further wins in the race (under Frankie Dettori and Darryl Holland respectively) and cemented his status as a legend of Doncaster and of British racing. These three Doncaster Cup wins are yet to be eclipsed in recent memory, with Beeswing dating back to the 19th century the only horse to have won more Doncaster Cups.
In an interview with RacingTV, Ron Huggins stated “he [Double Trigger] brought us so much enjoyment and was just brilliant for so many people. Every time he went to races there was a chance and that’s very unusual with a racehorse.”
Following his retirement in 1998, Double Trigger became a successful dual-purpose stallion until his death at the age of 29 in 2020. Summed up by his trainer, Johnston said of Double Trigger “he captured the public’s imagination like no other animal that I have been associated with, and rightly so.”
Racegoers at Doncaster are still reminded of his successes at every visit. A stunning statue of Double Trigger welcomes all to Town Moor beside the Lazarus Grandstand and a bar inside the racecourse to allows a toast to the great horse with every order.
