It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 2 miles 1 furlong and 197 yards (3,600 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

The event was established in 1766, and it was originally called the Doncaster Gold Cup.

It pre-dates Doncaster's St. Leger Stakes by ten years, and is the venue's oldest surviving race.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Doncaster Cup was classed at Group 3 level.

The Doncaster Cup is one of Britain's leading events for "stayers" – horses which specialise in racing over long distances.