Royal Ascot: Hardwicke Stakes

The Hardwicke Stakes, held on the final day of the Royal meeting, is a Group 2 race over 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards and is open to horses aged four years or older. The race is named in honour of the 5th Earl of Hardwicke, the Master of the Buckhounds in Benjamin Disraeli’s government from 1874 to 1880. The race was named in his honour in 1879, but he was an inveterate gambler who had huge debts with Agar-Robartes Bank and had to try to sell his Wimpole Hall Estate in Cambridgeshire in 1891. However, it failed to sell at auction and Lord Robartes, chairman of the Bank, had to accept the Estate in settlement of the debt.
Early history:- The inaugural running of the Hardwicke Stakes over a mile and a half of the Swinley Course took place on Friday 13th June 1879 with £2000 added prize money and a massive 168 subscribers at 10 sovereigns each. The race was won by Lord Bradford's Chippendale, beating Lord Falmouth's Silvio and Mr W Crawfurd's Lancastrian by a head and 10 lengths in 2 minutes 56 seconds.
Hardwicke Stakes 1996 Stakes 1 1/2 miles
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 OSCAR SCHINDLER Mick Kinane Kevin Prendergast Mr Oliver Lehane 7/4 fav
2 ANNUS MIRABILIS John Carroll Saeed Bin Suroor Godolphin
3 POSIDONAS T Quinn Paul Cole Athos Christodoulou 16/1
4 LEAR WHITE Jason Weaver Paul Kelleway General Horse Advertising 33/1
5 PHANTOM GOLD Michael Hills Lord Huntingdon HM The Queen 10/1
6 DANCE A DREAM Pat Eddery Sir Michael Stoute Cheveley Park Stud 8/1
7 PUNISHMENT Brett Doyle Clive Brittain Mr A J Richards 16/1
8 ELECTION DAY Willie Carson Sir Michael Stoute Lord Weinstock 100/30
The Hardwicke Stakes over a mile and a half of the Swinley Course was on Friday 21st June 1996 and the winner, a chestnut horse by Royal Academy out of Saraday won a first prize of £70,970 (equivalent to £136,000 in 2020). Over round 112%
Hardwicke Stakes Group 2 1 mile 4 furlongs 1879
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