Challenge Stakes (Great Britain)

The Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.

Challenge Stakes
Group 2 race
LocationRowley Mile
Newmarket, England
Inaugurated1878
Race typeFlat / Thoroughbred
SponsorGodolphin
WebsiteNewmarket
Race information
Distance7f (1,408 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackStraight
QualificationThree-years-old and up
Weight9 st 1 lb (3yo);
9 st 3 lb (4yo+)
Allowances
3 lb for fillies and mares
Penalties
5 lb for G1 winners
3 lb for G2 winners
since 31 March
Purse£109,000(2020)
1st: £61,814
Challenge Stakes
2020
Happy Power Pogo Glorious Journey

History

The event was established in 1878, and the inaugural edition was titled the First Great Challenge Stakes. It was originally contested over 6 furlongs and open to horses aged two or older.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Challenge Stakes held Group 3 status. It was extended to 7 furlongs in 1977, and closed to two-year-olds in 1985. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 1987.

The race was formerly staged during Newmarket's Champions' Day meeting in mid-October. It became part of a new fixture called Future Champions Day in 2011.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

  • Energy – 1882, 1884
  • Mephisto – 1886, 1890
  • Kilcock – 1896, 1897
  • Sonatura – 1900, 1901
  • Chacornac – 1902, 1903
  • Succour – 1907, 1908
  • Hornet's Beauty – 1912, 1914
  • Phalaris – 1917, 1918
  • Boldboy – 1973, 1977
  • Moorestyle – 1980, 1981
  • Limato - 2017, 2018

Leading jockey (7 wins):

  • Lester Piggott – Princely Gift (1954), Forlorn River (1967), Mountain Call (1968), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1980, 1981), Salieri (1983)

Leading trainer (6 wins):

  • Barry Hills – Asteroid Field (1987), Distant Relative (1989), Last Resort (2000), Munir (2001), Miss Lucifer (2007), Red Jazz (2010)

Winners since 1977
Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time
1977 Boldboy 7 Willie Carson Dick Hern
1978 Spence Bay 3 Joe Mercer Seamus McGrath
1979 Kris 3 Joe Mercer Henry Cecil 1:24.49
1980 Moorestyle 3 Lester Piggott Robert Armstrong
1981 Moorestyle 4 Lester Piggott Robert Armstrong
1982 Noalcoholic 5 George Duffield Gavin Pritchard-Gordon
1983 Salieri 3 Lester Piggott Henry Cecil
1984 Brocade 3 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood
1985 Efisio 3 Willie Carson John Dunlop
1986 Lucky Ring 4 Willie Carson Dick Hern
1987 Asteroid Field 4 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:33.94
1988 Salse 3 Michael Roberts Henry Cecil 1:27.04
1989 Distant Relative 3 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:25.13
1990 Sally Rous 3 Gary Carter Geoff Wragg 1:25.42
1991 Mystiko 3 Michael Roberts Clive Brittain 1:22.77
1992 Selkirk 4 Ray Cochrane Ian Balding 1:22.27
1993 Catrail 3 Michael Roberts John Gosden 1:27.92
1994 Zieten 4 Frankie Dettori John Gosden 1:25.89
1995 Harayir 3 Willie Carson Dick Hern 1:23.79
1996 Charnwood Forest 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:25.12
1997 Kahal 3 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:25.38
1998 Decorated Hero 6 Olivier Peslier John Gosden 1:25.76
1999 Susu 6 Kieren Fallon Sir Michael Stoute 1:24.20
2000 Last Resort 3 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:26.34
2001 Munir 3 Darryll Holland Barry Hills 1:27.50
2002 Nayyir 4 Eddie Ahern Gerard Butler 1:22.69
2003 Just James 4 Pat Eddery Jeremy Noseda 1:24.68
2004 Firebreak 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:27.22
2005 Le Vie dei Colori 5 Gérald Mossé Luca Cumani 1:25.34
2006 Sleeping Indian 5 Jimmy Fortune John Gosden 1:26.16
2007 Miss Lucifer 3 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:25.56
2008 Stimulation 3 Darryll Holland Hughie Morrison 1:22.48
2009 Arabian Gleam 5 Johnny Murtagh Jeremy Noseda 1:23.81
2010 Red Jazz 3 Robert Winston Barry Hills 1:26.04
2011 Strong Suit 3 Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:22.74
2012 Fulbright 3 Joe Fanning Mark Johnston 1:24.03
2013 Fiesolana 4 Billy Lee Willie McCreery 1:24.24
2014 Here Comes When 4 Jim Crowley Andrew Balding 1:26.53
2015 Cable Bay 4 Frankie Dettori Charlie Hills 1:24.45
2016 Aclaim 3 Frankie Dettori Martyn Meade 1:23.92
2017 Limato 5 Harry Bentley Henry Candy 1:22.24
2018 Limato 6 Harry Bentley Henry Candy 1:24.87
2019 Mustashry 6 Jim Crowley Michael Stoute 1:24.91
2020 Happy Power 4 Silvestre de Sousa Andrew Balding 1:25.11

Earlier winners
  • 1878: Lollypop
  • 1879: Rayon d'Or
  • 1880: Thebais
  • 1881: Nellie
  • 1882: Energy
  • 1883: Busybody
  • 1884: Energy
  • 1885: Modwena
  • 1886: Mephisto
  • 1887: Kilwarlin
  • 1888: Sandal
  • 1889: Heaume
  • 1890: Mephisto
  • 1891: Sir Frederick Roberts
  • 1892: St Angelo
  • 1893: Dame President
  • 1894: Whittier
  • 1895: Amandier / Chasseur [lower-alpha 1]
  • 1896: Kilcock
  • 1897: Kilcock
  • 1898: Heir Male
  • 1899: Fosco
  • 1900: Sonatura
  • 1901: Sonatura
  • 1902: Chacornac
  • 1903: Chacornac
  • 1904: Delaunay
  • 1905: Thrush
  • 1906: Rocketter
  • 1907: Succour
  • 1908: Succour
  • 1909: Sir Martin
  • 1910: Jack Snipe
  • 1911: Iron Mask
  • 1912: Hornet's Beauty
  • 1913: Borrow
  • 1914: Hornet's Beauty
  • 1915: Golden Sun
  • 1916: King's Joker
  • 1917: Phalaris
  • 1918: Phalaris
  • 1919: Diadem
  • 1920: Poltava
  • 1921: Sunblaze
  • 1922: Two Step
  • 1923: Black Gown
  • 1924: Drake
  • 1925: Twelve Pointer
  • 1926: Diomedes
  • 1927: Highborn II
  • 1928: Nice Prospect
  • 1929: Reedsmouth
  • 1930: Soloptic
  • 1931: Portlaw
  • 1932: The Divot
  • 1933: Myrobella
  • 1934: Mate
  • 1935: Bellacose
  • 1936: Solerina
  • 1937: Ipsden
  • 1938: Old Reliance
  • 1939–44: no race
  • 1945: Royal Charger
  • 1946: Daily Double
  • 1947: Closeburn
  • 1948: The Cobbler
  • 1949: Combined Operations
  • 1950: Bob Cherry
  • 1951: Hard Sauce
  • 1952: Agitator
  • 1953: Parakeet
  • 1954: Princely Gift
  • 1955: Royal Palm
  • 1956: Coronation Year
  • 1957: Welsh Abbot
  • 1958: Logarithm
  • 1959–66: no race
  • 1967: Forlorn River
  • 1968: Mountain Call
  • 1969: Burglar
  • 1970: Realm
  • 1971: Joshua
  • 1972: Abergwaun
  • 1973: Boldboy
  • 1974: New Model
  • 1975: Be Tuneful
  • 1976: Star Bird
  1. The 1895 race was a dead-heat and has joint winners

See also

References
  • Paris-Turf:
    • "1983"., "1984"., "1985"., "1986"., "1987".
  • Racing Post:
  • galopp-sieger.de – Challenge Stakes.
  • ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Challenge Stakes (2019).
  • pedigreequery.com – Challenge Stakes – Newmarket.
  • Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. pp. 208–209. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.