Royal Ascot: Norfolk Stakes

The Norfolk Stakes, a Group 2 flat race over 5 furlongs open to two-year-old horses, is currently staged on the third day of the Royal meeting. The event was established in 1843, and it was originally called the New Stakes. The inaugural running was won by Rattan. The race was renamed the Norfolk Stakes in 1973, in honour of the 16th Duke of Norfolk who served as the Royal Representative at Ascot from 1945 to 1972. For a time the event held Group 3 status, but it was promoted to Group 2 level in 2006.
Early history:- The inaugural running of the New Stakes, the forerunner of the Norfolk Stakes, over the 5 furlongs of the two-year-old course took place on Thursday 15th June 1843 and was won by Mr Crockford's Rattan (5/2) who beat Assay and Charming Kate by 3 lengths and 5 lengths.
New Stakes 1845 Stakes 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer/Age/weight Owner
1 JOY Bartholomew 2-8st 7lbs Lord Lonsdale 12/1
2 STING H Bell 2-8st 7lbs Mr Forth 3/1
3 SIR EDWARD W Balchin 2-8st 7lbs Mr Balchin 33/1
4 FLEUR DE MARIE S Mann 2-8st 3lbs Mr Bateman 33/1
5 PRINCESS ALICE Marson 2-8st 8lbs Lord George Bentinck 9/4 fav
6 MOOSE DEER Crouch 2-8st 3lbs Mr Booth 33/1
7 MADCAP Wakefield 2-8st 3lbs Mr Cooper 15/1
8 GRIMSTON T Lye 2-8st 7lbs Mr T Dawson 33/1
9 BREAST GIRTH E Edwards 2-8st 3lbs Mr W Edwards 33/1
10 DEXTEROUS J Howlett 2-8st 3lbs Mr Goulding 33/1
11 REPEAL Nat Flatman 2-8st 3lbs Mr Greville 33/1
12 FUGITIVE W Boyce 2-8st 7lbs Sir J Hawley 33/1
13 VENISON colt Sly 2-8st 7lbs Mr Herbert 33/1
14 BUTTRESS W Abdale 2-8st 3lbs Mr Hook 33/1
15 BAY MIDDLETON colt Jem Chapple 2-8st 7lbs Lord Lonsdale 14/1
16 DEJANIRA Marlow 2-8st 3lbs Mr E Peel 33/1
17 HOLLOWAY F Butler 2-8st 7lbs Mr T Powell 33/1
18 CHERRYBOUNCE Calloway 2-8st 3lbs Mr Rawlinson 8/1
19 MALT Macdonald 2-8st 7lbs Mr W Scott 3/1
20 PYRRHA W Howlett 2-8st 3lbs Mr Thompson 33/1
21 ASTONISHMENT Whitehouse 2-8st 3lbs Mr Treen 10/1
22 WESTCOUNTRYMAN John Day junior 2-8st 7lbs Mr Wreford 3/1
The New Stakes, forerunner of the Norfolk Stakes, took place on Thursday 12th June 1845 and the winner, a brown colt by Bay Middleton out of Jubilee, won a first prize was 590 sovereigns from 49 subscribers (equivalent to £73,000 in 2020). Over round 163%
Norfolk Stakes Group 2 5 furlongs 1843
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