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 Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 6 furlongs () at
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
in May.
History
An event called the Duke of York Stakes was introduced at York's August meeting in 1895. It was named after Prince George,
Duke of York
Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...
(later King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
.) A middle-distance race for three-year-olds, its winners included
Polymelus
Polymelus (1902–1924) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse who was the leading sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland for five years (1914, 1915, 1916, 1920, 1921). Among his most famous descendants are Secretariat and Northern Dance ...
(1905),
Papyrus
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...
(1923) and Firdaussi (1932).
A six-furlong handicap sprint titled the Duke of York Handicap Stakes was established at York's May meeting in 1950. It continued until the mid-1960s.
The current Duke of York Stakes, a six-furlong conditions race, was created in 1968. The first running was won by Hard Water. It was given Group 3 status in 1971, and promoted to Group 2 level in 2003.
The Duke of York Stakes is now held on the opening day of York's three-day Dante Festival meeting. It is run the day before the
Dante Stakes
The Dante Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 56 yards () at Y ...
.
The race is to be renamed to distance it from
Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger brother of King Charles III and the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...
, the current Duke of York who faces allegations of sexual abuse.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Handsome Sailor – ''1987, 1988''
Leading jockey (4 wins):
*
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest f ...
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen (born May 1, 1960) is a retired American jockey.
In 1977 he became the first jockey to win over $6 million in a year working with agent Lenny Goodman, and in 1978 he became the youngest jockey to win the U. S. ...
– ''Flash n' Thunder (1980), Jester (1982), Indian Ridge (1989), Lugana Beach (1990)''
* Michael Hills – ''Handsome Sailor (1988), Owington (1994), Royal Applause (1997), Steenberg (2006)''
Leading trainer (7 wins):
*
Barry Hills
Barry Hills (born 2 April 1937) is a retired British thoroughbred horse trainer. He lives in Lambourn, England.
Biography
Barry Hills had three sons in his first marriage, to Maureen Newson: John, Michael, and Richard. John (died 2014) was a ho ...
– ''Noble Mark (1974), Flash n' Thunder (1980), Jester (1982), Handsome Sailor (1987, 1988), Royal Applause (1997), Prime Defender (2010)''
Leading owner (6 wins):
*
Robert Sangster
Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004)
– ''Noble Mark (1974), Thatching (1979), Flash n' Thunder (1980), Jester (1982), Handsome Sailor (1987, 1988)''
Winners
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total di ...
*
List of British flat horse races
A list of notable flat horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), including all conditions races which currently hold Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemi ...
References
* Paris-Turf:
**, , , , ,
*
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 ...