Royal Ascot: King's Stand Stakes

The King's Stand Stakes was created as a result of bad weather at Royal Ascot in 1860. Heavy rain made it impossible to run the Royal Stand Plate over its usual distance of 2 miles, so it was shortened to 5 furlongs on the only raceable part of the course. The amended version was called the Queen's Stand Plate, and it subsequently became the most important sprint at the Royal meeting. For a time it was open to horses aged two or older. It was renamed the King's Stand Stakes following the death of Queen Victoria and the accession of King Edward VII in 1901. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the King's Stand Stakes was given Group 1 status in 1973, although it was downgraded to Group 2 level in 1988, but regained its Group 1 status in 2008 and is contested on the opening day of the Royal meeting.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Queen's Stand Plate for 300 sovereigns, on Tuesday 5th June 1860, saw a large field of superior quality headed by Baron Rothschild's Queen of the Vale (100/6) ridden by John Daley in a canter by 3 lengths from Brown Duchess (5/1), with two lengths back to Satellite (7/1) in third, and 14 others further adrift.
King's Stand Stakes 2008 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 EQUIANO Olivier Peslier M Delcher Sanchez J Acheson 22/1
2 TAKEOVER TARGET Jay Ford Joe Janiak J & B Janiak 6/1
3 FLEETING SPIRIT Ryan Moore Jeremy Noseda The Searchers 15/8 fav
4 DANDY MAN Frankie Dettori Saeed Bin Suroor Godolphin 8/1
5 HOH MIKE Jamie Spencer Michael Bell Michael Lynch/David Allport 22/1
6 NATIONAL COLOUR K Shea S G Tarry C J H Van Niekerk 20/1
7 BENBAUN Pat Smullen M J Wallace Ransley, Birks, Hillen 12/1
8 MAGNUS Damien Oliver Peter Moody P Erasmus, B Murphy 13/2
9 ABRAHAM LINCOLN Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien Mrs J Magnier,M Tabor 33/1
10 KINGSGATE NATIVE Jimmy Quinn John Best John Mayne 8/1
11 MOORHOUSE LAD Tom Eaves Bryan Smart Ron Hull 33/1
12 ENTICING Eddie Ahern William Haggas Lael Stable 28/1
13 MATSUNOSUKE Kerrin McEvoy Alan Coogan Alan Googan 100/1
The King's Stand Stakes took place on Tuesday 17th June 2008 and the winner, a bay horse by Acclamation out of Entente Cordiale won a first prize of £141,925, (equivalent to £194,000 in 2020). Over round 117%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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