British Champions Sprint Stakes

British Champions Sprint Stakes
(ex Diadem Stakes)
Group 1 race
Location Ascot Racecourse
Ascot, England
Inaugurated 1946
Race type Flat / Thoroughbred
Sponsor QIPCO
Website Ascot
Race information
Distance 6f (1,207 metres)
Surface Turf
Track Straight
Qualification Three-years-old and up
Weight 9 st 1 lb (3yo);
9 st 2 lb (4yo+)
Allowances
3 lb for fillies and mares
Purse £600,000 (2015)
1st: £358,694
British Champions Sprint Stakes
2015
Muhaarar Twilight Son Danzeno

The British Champions Sprint Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October. In 2015 it was run as a Group 1 race for the first time.

History

The event was established in 1946, and it was originally called the Diadem Stakes. It was named after Diadem (foaled 1914), a winner of several of Ascot's leading races. For a period it was staged in October,[1] and it later moved to September.

The current system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Diadem Stakes initially held Group 3 status. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 1996. It had a prize fund of £100,000 in 2010.[2]

The race was given its present name and switched to October in 2011. It became part of the newly created British Champions Day, and its purse was increased to £250,000. It now serves as the sprint-category final of the British Champions Series. In August 2014 the European Pattern Committee announced that the race would be upgraded to Group 1 status from its 2015 running.[3]

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

  • Set Fair – 1952, 1954
  • Jack and Jill – 1958, 1959

Leading jockey (7 wins):

  • Lester Piggott – Abergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat), Absalom (1979), Moorestyle (1981), Salieri (1983)

Leading trainer (4 wins):

  • Walter Nightingall – Set Fair (1952, 1954), Jack and Jill (1958, 1959)
  • Vincent O'Brien – Abergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat)

Winners since 1979

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time
1979 Absalom 4 Lester Piggott Ryan Jarvis
1980 Sovereign Rose 3 Willie Carson Dick Hern
1981 Moorestyle 4 Lester Piggott Robert Armstrong
1982 Indian King 4 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood
1983 Salieri 3 Lester Piggott Henry Cecil
1984 Never So Bold 4 Steve Cauthen Robert Armstrong
1985 Al Sylah 3 Tony Murray Harry Thomson Jones
1986 Hallgate 3 Greville Starkey Sally Hall 1:15.32
1987 Dowsing 3 Pat Eddery Jeremy Tree 1:14.67
1988 Cadeaux Genereux 3 Pat Eddery Olivier Douieb 1:15.91
1989 Chummy's Favourite 4 Frankie Dettori Neville Callaghan 1:14.25
1990 Ron's Victory 3 Freddy Head Alain Falourd 1:12.66
1991 Shalford 3 Tony Cruz Richard Hannon, Sr. 1:18.95
1992 Wolfhound 3 Steve Cauthen John Gosden 1:17.20
1993 Catrail 3 Michael Roberts John Gosden 1:15.63
1994 Lake Coniston 3 Pat Eddery Geoff Lewis 1:14.35
1995 Cool Jazz 4 Corey Nakatani Clive Brittain 1:18.56
1996 Diffident 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:15.36
1997 Elnadim 3 Richard Hills John Dunlop 1:12.56
1998 Bianconi 3 Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien 1:13.98
1999 Bold Edge 4 Dane O'Neill Richard Hannon, Sr. 1:20.12
2000 Sampower Star 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:17.29
2001 Nice One Clare 5 Johnny Murtagh Pip Payne 1:17.60
2002 Crystal Castle 4 Kieren Fallon John Hammond 1:13.40
2003 Acclamation 4 Frankie Dettori Gerald Cottrell 1:12.60
2004 Pivotal Point 4 Seb Sanders Peter Makin 1:13.55
2005 Baron's Pit [a] 5 Johnny Murtagh Amanda Perrett 1:10.74
2006 Red Clubs 3 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:13.71
2007 Haatef 3 Richard Hills Kevin Prendergast 1:13.96
2008 King's Apostle 4 Liam Jones William Haggas 1:14.20
2009 Sayif 3 Richard Hills Peter Chapple-Hyam 1:12.57
2010 Lady of the Desert 3 Richard Hughes Brian Meehan 1:14.13
2011 Deacon Blues 4 Johnny Murtagh James Fanshawe 1:12.55
2012 Maarek 5 Jamie Spencer David Peter Nagle 1:15.99
2013 Slade Power 4 Wayne Lordan Edward Lynam 1:15.79
2014 Gordon Lord Byron 6 Wayne Lordan Tom Hogan 1:17.30
2015 Muhaarar 3 Paul Hanagan Charles Hills 1:13.34

a The 2005 edition was held at Newmarket.

Earlier winners

  • 1946: The Bug
  • 1947: Djelal
  • 1948: Combined Operations
  • 1949: Solonaway
  • 1950: Abadan
  • 1951: Ki Ming
  • 1952: Set Fair
  • 1953: Rose Coral
  • 1954: Set Fair
  • 1955: Pappa Fourway
  • 1956: King Bruce *
  • 1957: Arcandy
  • 1958: Jack and Jill
  • 1959: Jack and Jill
  • 1960: Zanzibar *
  • 1961: Satan
  • 1962: La Belle
  • 1963: Sammy Davis *
  • 1964: Ampney Princess
  • 1965: Majority Blue
  • 1966: Lucasland
  • 1967: Great Bear
  • 1968: Secret Ray
  • 1969: Song
  • 1970: Realm
  • 1971: Abergwaun
  • 1972: Home Guard
  • 1973: Boldboy
  • 1974: Saritamer
  • 1975: Roman Warrior / Swingtime †
  • 1976: Honeyblest
  • 1977: Gentilhombre
  • 1978: Creetown

* The 1956, 1960 and 1963 runnings took place at Kempton Park.
† The 1975 race was a dead-heat and has joint winners.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Selections and Fields for Ascot". Glasgow Herald. 10 October 1947. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "2010 Diadem Stakes". International Federation of Horseracing Authorities. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "European Pattern Committee announce major changes to sprint programme from 2015". britishhorseracing.com. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  • galopp-sieger.de – Diadem Stakes.
  • horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – British Champions Sprint Stakes (2014).
  • pedigreequery.com – Diadem Stakes – Ascot.
  • Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. p. 190. ISBN 1-873626-15-0. 
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