The Champion Stakes is a
Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to
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 ...
s aged three years or older. It is run at
Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs (2,012 metres), and it is scheduled to take place as part of
British Champions Day each year in October.
History
The event was established in 1877, and it was originally held at
Newmarket. The inaugural running was won by
Springfield. By the end of the century it had been won by five
Classic winners.
The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Champion Stakes was classed at the highest level, Group 1.
The race was included in the
Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2009 and 2010. The winner earned an automatic invitation to compete in the
Breeders' Cup Turf.
The Champion Stakes was transferred to Ascot in 2011. It became part of a newly created fixture called British Champions Day. It now serves as the middle-distance final of the
British Champions Series
The British Champions Series is a series of 35 top British flat races, which culminates in a day-long festival of championship races, known as British Champions Day. It was inaugurated in the 2011 season to draw together some of Britain's key f ...
.
With an increased prize fund of £1,300,000, the Champion Stakes was Britain's richest horse race in 2011. The status was reclaimed by
The Derby in 2012.
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins):
*
Tristan
Tristan ( Latin/Brythonic: ''Drustanus''; cy, Trystan), also known as Tristram or Tristain and similar names, is the hero of the legend of Tristan and Iseult. In the legend, he is tasked with escorting the Irish princess Iseult to wed ...
– ''1882, 1883, 1884''
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 ...
(6 wins):
*
Danny Maher – ''Osboch (1901), Pretty Polly (1905), Polymelus (1906), Llangwm (1908), Bayardo (1909), Lemberg (1910)''
*
Charlie Elliott
Charles Standish Elliott MBE (24 April 1912 – 1 January 2004) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1953, an international umpire and a part-time footballer.
Elliott was born in Bolsover, Derbyshire. ...
– ''Ellangowan (1923), Asterus (1927), Goyescas (1931), Djeddah (1949), Dynamiter (1951, 1952)''
Leading
trainer (8 wins):
*
Alec Taylor Jr.
Alec Taylor Jr. (1862–1943), known as the Wizard of Manton, was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who followed in the footsteps of his highly successful father, Alec Taylor Sr.
Family
His father, Alec Taylor Sr., was a successful h ...
– ''Sceptre (1903), Bayardo (1909), Lemberg (1910, 1911), Gay Crusader (1917), My Dear (1918), Buchan (1919), Picaroon (1925)''
Leading owner (6 wins):
*
HH Aga Khan III – ''Rustom Pasha (1930), Dastur (1933, dead-heat), Umidwar (1934), Nasrullah (1943), Migoli (1947), Hafiz (1955)''
Dam of two winners:
*
Kind-
Frankel (2012)
Noble Mission
Noble Mission (foaled 25 February 2009) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. Best known as the younger brother of the unbeaten Frankel in his early career, he later became a very successful racehorse in his own right. He won the Gordon Stakes as ...
(2014)
Winners
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
*
List of British flat horse races
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 ...
:
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galopp-sieger.de– ''Champion Stakes.''
horseracingintfed.com– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Champion Stakes (2018).''
pedigreequery.com– ''Champion Stakes.''
*
* Race Recording
{{British Champions Series, state=uncollapsed
Flat races in Great Britain
Ascot Racecourse
Open middle distance horse races
Recurring sporting events established in 1877
British Champions Series
1877 establishments in England