Royal Ascot: King's Stand Stakes

The King's Stand Stakes was created as a result of bad weather at Royal Ascot in 1860. Heavy rain made it impossible to run the Royal Stand Plate over its usual distance of 2 miles, so it was shortened to 5 furlongs on the only raceable part of the course. The amended version was called the Queen's Stand Plate, and it subsequently became the most important sprint at the Royal meeting. For a time it was open to horses aged two or older. It was renamed the King's Stand Stakes following the death of Queen Victoria and the accession of King Edward VII in 1901. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the King's Stand Stakes was given Group 1 status in 1973, although it was downgraded to Group 2 level in 1988, but regained its Group 1 status in 2008 and is contested on the opening day of the Royal meeting.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Queen's Stand Plate for 300 sovereigns, on Tuesday 5th June 1860, saw a large field of superior quality headed by Baron Rothschild's Queen of the Vale (100/6) ridden by John Daley in a canter by 3 lengths from Brown Duchess (5/1), with two lengths back to Satellite (7/1) in third, and 14 others further adrift.

Queen's Stand Plate 1861 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 BUCKSTONE Hayward 2-6st 5lbs Mr James Merry 5/2 fav
2 MARIGNAN H Grimshaw 2-7st 11lbs Count F de Lagrange 4/1
3 GABRIELLE D'ESTREES George Fordham 3-8st 2lbs Count F de Lagrange 25/1
4 JEDDAH John Osborne 4-8st 5lbs Mr Dixon 6/1
5 STOCKWELL filly E Sharp 3-8st 2lbs Lord Chesterfield 25/1
6 LEONTES A French 6-9st 5lbs Mr A French 100/6
7 WOODFORD Parsons 2-6st 5lbs Mr R Ten Broeck 25/1
8 MISS JULIA Custance aged-9st 5lbs Captain Christie 100/6
9 HESPER Aldcroft 3-8st 12lbs Captain Coates 9/1
10 TWILIGHT Withington 5-9st 5lbs Mr Copperthwaite 8/1
11 PELLUCID Midgley 2-6st 9lbs Mr Hamilton 25/1
12 LADY RIPON Bullock 3-6st 12lbs Mr Harrison 25/1
13 AMSTERDAM John Wells 6-9st 8lbs Mr S Jacobs 25/1
14 OVERTON Drew 3-8st 5lbs Mr Merrifield 25/1
15 FEU DE JEU T French 2-6st 9lbs Mr R C Naylor 25/1
16 MAINSTONE Jem Goater 4-8st 9lbs Lord Palmerston 25/1
17 REVEILLE Challoner 3-8st 2lbs Mr H Savile 25/1
18 PENALTY L Snowden 5-8st 9lbs Mr J Saxon 25/1
19 LANKY LAD Bryan 4-8st 5lbs Mr William Stewart 25/1
20 GENERAL HESS S Rogers 4-9st 5lbs Lord Uxbridge 25/1
This race took place on Tuesday 11th June 1861, the winner, a 2-year-old bay colt by Voltigeur out of Burlesque, won a first prize of 670 Sovereigns from 37 subscribers (equivalent to £80,000 in 2020). Over round 147%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
1860 1861