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 1985 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 NEVER SO BOLD L Piggott R Armstrong Mr E Kessly 4/1
2 PRIMO DOMINIE W R Swinburn M Stoute Mr P Wetzel 10/1
3 COMMITTED B Thomson D Weld Mr R Sangster 7/4 fav
4 ABHA S Cauthen H Cecil Prince Faisal 6/1
5 PRINCE SABO J Reid G Lewis Mrs R Daniels 8/1
6 PARIOLI J-C Desaint J Cunningham Mr D Arnold 8/1
7 CHAPEL COTTAGE P Robinson M Ryan Mr Terry Ramsden 14/1
8 PRINCESS TRACY W Carson M Cunningham Mr K Flynam 16/1
9 ALBANY LAD B Rouse R Hannon Mrs L Davies 16/1
10 BASSENTHWAITE P Eddery J Tree Mr S Niarchos 20/1
11 ABERUSCHKA A Cordero L Browne Mrs I Fox 20/1
12 CAMEROUN T Quinn D Laing Mr C Wright 25/1
13 HILTON BROWN G Starkey P Cundell Lord McAlpine 25/1
14 IMPERIAL JADE P Cook A Jarvis Mr S Kaplan 33/1
15 JONACRIS R Cochrane P Felgate Mrs A Quinn 33/1
The King's Stand Stakes took place on Friday 21st June 1985 and the winner, a bay horse by Bold Lad out of Never Never Land won a first prize of £34,208, (equivalent to £118,000 in 2020). Over round 144%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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