Royal Ascot: Prince of Wales's Stakes
The Prince of Wales's Stakes, currently staged on the second day of the Royal meeting, was established in 1862, and named after the Prince of Wales at that time, the future King Edward VII. The original version was restricted to three-year-olds, and it was contested over 1 mile and 5 furlongs. The race was discontinued after World War II, when there was no Prince of Wales. It returned in 1968, a year before the investiture of Prince Charles. The distance of the new version was 1 mile and 2 furlongs, and it was now open to horses aged three or older. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Prince of Wales's Stakes was classed at Group 2 level. It was promoted to Group 1 status in 2000, and at this point the minimum age of participating horses was raised to four. |
| Prince of Wales's Stakes 1869 | Group 1 | 1 mile 5 furlongs | ||
| Pos. | Horse | Jockey | Age'weight | Owner |
| 1 | MARTYRDOM | George Fordham | Bloss 3-8st 10lbs | Captain Machell 5/1 |
| 2 | PERO GOMEZ | John Wells | John Porter 3-9st 1lbs | Sir Joseph Hawley 1/3 fav |
| 3 | TYPHON | Morris | Tom Jennings 3-8st 10lbs | Count Batthyany 20/1 |
| 4 | CONSUL | Tom Chaloner | John Dawson 3-8st 10lbs | Count F De Lagrange 20/1 |
| 5 | KING COPHETUA | J Adams | John Porter 3-8st 10lbs | Sir Joseph Hawley 20/1 |
| This race took place on Tuesday 8th June 1869 and was won by a chestnut colt by St Albans out of a Eulogy, who won a first prize of 5700 sovereigns from 94 subscribers (equivalent to £684,000 in 2020). | Over round 106% | |||
| Prince of Wales's Stakes | Group 1 | 1 mile 2 furlongs | 1862 | ||||||
| 1862 | 1863 | 1864 | 1865 | 1866 | 1867 | 1868 | 1869 | ||