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.

King's Stand Plate 1928 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 CHICHESTER CROSS C Smirke Howard Mr C Howard 20/1
2 GRAND VIXEN G Richards Marsh Lord Glanely 100/9
3 DEVACHON R James Toon Mr N H Walker 100/8
4 TETRILL J Dines R Day Mr S Villar 7/1
5 MARYLAND POINT H Packham C Waugh Mr J Keep 25/1
6 L'ESPERANCE R Perryman France M M Boussac 20/1
7 LORD WEMBLEY S Donoghue O Bell Mr D Broughton 100/8
8 DOCH-AN-DORIS H Leach Leach jnr Mr D L Wilson 7/1
9 DARK LANTERN II W Balding Davis Mr R Davis 6/1
10 CANFIELD E Gardner F Hartigan Baron D de Tuyll 7/2 fav
11 PROTOCOL M Beary J Wilson Miss M Keyser 25/1
12 GOLDEN BOY P Serby J M Bell Mr J Bell 25/1
13 DESERT SUN B Carslake C Peck Mr J B Joel 8/1
14 PREVIOUS H Wragg O Bell Sir H Cunliffe-Owen 25/1
15 BUCOLIC K Robertson Basil Jarvis Lajor J Courtauld 25/1
16 LADYLAND B Lynch Barrett Mr A Saunders 25/1
17 TRAFAD J Childs E Wilson Mr F J Benson 10/1
18 HARTLAND F Fox J Barrett Mr G Foot 25/1
The King's Stand Plate took place on Friday 22nd June 1928 and the winner, a bay colt by Abbot's Trace out of Chatham, won a first prize of a piece of plate valued at 800 sovereigns, and 585 sovereigns (equivalent to £31,000 in 2020). Over round 143%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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