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 1951 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 STEPHEN PAUL N Sellwood Persse Mr J Olding 7/2
2 HARD SAUCE W Rickaby Bertie Sir Victor Sassoon 9/2
3 MAKE TRACKS T Gosling Lawson Mr R S Clark 100/6
4 GAMBLE IN GOLD W H Carr Boyd-Rochfort Mrs W P Wyatt 2/1 fav
5 ABADAN G Richards Murless Lt-Col Giles Loder 8/1
6 TANCRED L Piggott K Cundell Mr S L Sheldrick 100/7
7 BAY MEADOWS C Elliott H Wragg Mr B J Hilliard 100/6
8 WESTERLANDS PRINCE D Smith H Brown Mrs F Nagle 20/1
9 BALLY RED E Smith Speakman Mr R Darragh 20/1
10 VENDURA S Clayton G Brooke Major L B Holliday 33/1
11 TUESDAY'S BOY R Reader Nightingall Mr H Elvin 33/1
12 LEGAL VIEW W Snaith Warden Mr F S Myerscough 33/1
The King's Stand Stakes took place on Friday 15th June 1951 and the winner, a brown horse by Panorama out of Paradise, won a first prize of £1416, (equivalent to £45,000 in 2020). Over round 122%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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