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 1871 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 CHOPETTE Wheeler Joseph Hayhoe 2-6st 9lbs Baron Rothschild 4/1
2 NUNEHAM Fred Webb Mathew Dawson 2-6st 12lbs Mr Blaydon 6/1
3 SHANNON Snowden Elliott 3-8st 9lbs Mr F Mouncey 12/1
4 COUNTRYMAN Jeffery George Bloss 4-9st 5lbs Sir George Chetwynd 8/1
5 DEVOTION W Gray Alec Taylor 2-6st 12lbs Mr W S Crawfurd 10/1
6 CYMBAL Wyatt Joseph Hayhoe jnr 4-9st 12lbs Mr Bruton 3/1
7 PRETENDER John Osborne Tom Dawson 5-9st 8lbs Mr J Johnstone 25/1
8 MASTER McGRATH G Jarvis Henry Woolcott 2-6st 12lbs Mr G G Keswick 25/1
9 VULCAN George Fordham Tom Jennings aged-10st 1lb Mr T Lombard 4/1
10 TIM WEAVER Cannon Alec Taylor 4-8st 5lbs Sir F Johnstone 25/1
The Queen's Stand Plate took place on Tuesday 6th June 1871 and the winner, a bay filly by North Lincoln out of Mahala, won a first prize of a piece of plate valued at 200 sovereigns, and stakes of 180 sovereigns from 18 subscribers (equivalent to £45,000 in 2020). Over round 119%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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