The Weld Park Stakes is a
Group 3 flat
Flat or flats may refer to:
Architecture
* Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries
Arts and entertainment
* Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch
* Flat (soldier), ...
horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
open to two-year-old
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
fillies. It is run at the
Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September or October.
History
The event was originally held at
Phoenix Park
The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
, and it used to be contested over a mile. For a period it was called the Wexford Stakes, and it was later renamed the Park Stakes. It was shortened to 7 furlongs in 1971.
The trainer
Dermot Weld
Dermot K. Weld (born 29 July 1948), a former jockey is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland (2,578 set in August 2000).
Weld maintains his stable, Rosewell House, in C ...
started to sponsor the race in the 1980s, and it was subsequently run in memory of his father Charlie Weld (also a trainer). The C. L. Weld Park Stakes was transferred to the Curragh in 1991. In 2014 the name of Dermot Weld's mother, Marguerite, was added to the race title and it became the C. L. & M. F. Weld Park Stakes. Since 2018 it has been run as the Weld Park Stakes.
Notable winners of the race have included
Ridgewood Pearl
Ridgewood Pearl (1992–2003) was an Irish-based Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1995 won four Group/Grade 1 races in four countries including over male horses in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
The filly was bred by S ...
,
Alborada,
Imagine
Imagine may refer to:
* Imagination
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* ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008
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* ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012
* ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971
** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
and
Qualify
Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to:
* Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...
.
Records
Leading
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
since 1965 (7 wins):
*
Michael Kinane
Michael J. Kinane (born 22 June 1959, Killenaule, County Tipperary) is an Irish former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009.
A prolific winner of the Irish, English and French Classic race ...
– ''Lone Bidder (1980), Countess Candy (1982), Gaily Gaily (1985), Trusted Partner (1987), Asema (1992), Arch Swing (2006), Eva's Request (2007)''
Leading
trainer since 1965 (7 wins):
*
John Oxx – ''Isle of Glass (1990), Tarwiya (1991), Morcote (1993), Ridgewood Pearl (1994), Rafayda (1998), Arch Swing (2006), My Titania (2013)''
Winners since 1980
Earlier winners
* 1965: Crystal Light *
* 1966: Graunuaile
* 1967: Windy Gay
* 1968: Another Daughter
* 1969: Royal Words
* 1970: Three Roses
* 1971: Al-Burak
* 1972: Fiery Diplomat
* 1973: Silk Buds
* 1974: Small World
* 1975: Capricious
* 1976: All Serene
* 1977: Turkish Treasure
* 1978: Solar
* 1979: Mulvilla
* Moon Dancer finished first in 1965, but she was disqualified.
See also
*
Horse racing in Ireland
Horse racing in Ireland is intricately linked with Irish culture and society. The racing of horses has a long history on the island, being mentioned in some of the earliest texts. Domestically, racing is one of Ireland's most popular spectator ...
*
List of Irish flat horse races
References
*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 6 ...
:
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Weld Park Stakes
Flat races in Ireland
Curragh Racecourse
Flat horse races for two-year-old fillies