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 1980 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 AFRICAN SONG P Eddery P Kelleway Mr G Kaye 10/1
2 RUNNETT J Mercer J Dunlop Miss V Evans 5/1
3 ABDU T Ives W O'Gorman Mr A Foustok 9/2 fav
4 QUEEN OF CORNWALL G Starkey M Stoute Sir G White 16/1
5 SUSARMA L Piggott Breasley Mr R Tikkoo 8/1
6 MANJAM G Doleuse Saliba Mr A Moubarak 10/1
7 GREENLAND PARK J Reid Hastings-Bass Greenland Park Ltd 13/2
8 ABEER W Carson J Tree K Abdulla 15/2
9 JASMINE STAR T Carberry Connolly (Ire) Mr M Bergi 11/1
10 ROLLAHEAD B Taylor H R Price Mr R Sangster 16/1
11 BALBOA R Cochrane Ron Sheather Mr R Galpin 25/1
12 STANDAAN S Cauthen C Brittain Mr A Richards 25/1
13 SMOKE SINGER Walter Swinburn P Kelleway Mrs B Shack 33/1
14 PIT STOP J Lowe Stubbs Mr M Simpson 100/1
The King's Stand Stakes took place on Friday 20th June 1980 and the winner, a bay colt by African Sky out of Goldwyn Princess won a first prize of £32,432, (equivalent to £142,000 in 2020). Over round 124%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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1980