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 PiggottAbergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat), Absalom (1979), Moorestyle (1981), Salieri (1983)

Leading trainer (4 wins):

  • Walter NightingallSet Fair (1952, 1954), Jack and Jill (1958, 1959)
  • Vincent O'BrienAbergwaun (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.deDiadem Stakes.
  • horseracingintfed.comInternational Federation of Horseracing Authorities – British Champions Sprint Stakes (2014).
  • pedigreequery.comDiadem 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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