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 Stakes 1939 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 MICKEY THE GREEK H Wragg H Leach Mr H Leach 20/1
2 RUE DE LA PAIX S Wragg Beeby Mr D C Baring 100/8
3 PORTOBELLO G Richards R J Colling Mr P Dunne 5/2 fav
4 HESPERUS B Carslake R Adams Mr L Oates 100/7
5 KNIGHTS ARMOUR F Herbert N Cannon Mr J Rank 7/1
6 OLD RELIANCE E Smith J Jarvis Sir J Jarvis 7/2
7 MONTY C Richards M Hartigan Mrs Benson 6/1
8 WILLOW KNIGHT R A Jones Walters Mrs F Barlow 33/1
9 VALENTINO II T Burns F Hartigan Major Bonsor 33/1
10 REAL ESTATE T Lowrey H Jelliss Mr J Phillips 100/6
11 PROMETHEUS M Beary T E Leader Mr A De Rothschild 20/1
12 FOXBROUGH II P Beasley Boyd-Rochfort Mr W Woodward 20/1
13 EMIR D'IRAN C Smirke Frank Butters HH Aga Khan 33/1
14 EASY GOING R Perryman Earl Lord Derby 33/1
15 BATTLE CRUISER T Weston Persse Miss R Parsons 33/1
16 YAKIMOUR D Smith Frank Butters HH Aga Khan 33/1
17 MARSHFIELD G Littlewood B Jarvis Lord Glanely 33/1
18 ADMIRAL FISHER W Sibbritt J Waugh Sir M Ward 33/1
19 TIME STEP W Nevett J Anthony Mr J Whitney 20/1
20 CHARMING HOPE A Richardson H Peacock Mr McKinley 33/1
21 NEUVIENNE J Sirett France Mr M Lazard 20/1
The King's Stand Plate took place on Friday 16th June 1939 and the winner, a bay horse by Apple Sammy out of Ionian Fairy, won a first prize of £1420, (equivalent to £95,000 in 2020). Over round 153%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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