The original Saints and Sinners organisations were American clubs, founded by show business people to raise money for their less well-off practitioners. They did so well that the range of beneficiaries expanded to cover worthy groups. A club was set up in London in 1947 and in 1965 some of its Scottish members formed a Scottish club.
The evening of 29 June that year saw the first Saints and Sinners Club charity race meeting at Hamilton. 30,000 people turned up for that first night. Lester Piggott rode four winners at the 1970 meeting. It became a highlight of the Scottish social season and the Hamilton meeting was akin to a day at Royal Ascot. The club aims to help as many as a hundred small charities each year – all in Scotland.
There was a rumpus when it decided to move Saints and Sinners night to Ayr in 2008, on the basis that a bigger course could cope better with the large attendance. It didn’t go down well in Lanarkshire. Attendances dropped off and the annual race night moved back to Hamilton in 2012, the club realising that its location midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh was more conducive to bringing in crowds and donations.
Since 2019 the individual race with the Saints and Sinners name has been for amateur riders. A Challenge Cup is presented to the winning owner.
Originally the idea was that attendees wore a carnation; red if you were a sinner, white if you were a saint. Now the flower is less common. Instead, one’s general dress colour is indicative of your nature.
Sources include:
https://www.saintsandsinnersclub.com/