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.
Early history:- The inaugural running of the Prince of Wales's Stakes was on Tuesday 17th June 1862 over 1 mile 5 furlongs of the New Course. It was won by Carisbrook (100/8), beating Neptunus (4/1 joint favourite) and Hurricane (20/1) by 2 lengths and a head.
Prince of Wales's Stakes 1885 Group 1 1 mile 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Age'weight Owner
1 PEPPER & SALT G Barrett Alec Taylor 3-8st 3lbs Duke of Beaufort 20/1
2 DANDIE DINMONT W Lashmar Charles Blanton 3-8st 3lbs Prince Soltykoff 11/1
3 ROYAL HAMPTON Charles Wood Humphreys 3-9st 1lbs Mr C Childwick 4/6 fav
4 SHERATON F Rossiter Wadlow 3-8st 3lbs Lord Bradford 20/1
5 REEDSDALE John Osborne Bates 3-8st 5lbs Mr R Jardine 25/1
6 JOHN BARLEYCORN A Giles Weever 3-8st 3lbs Mr W J Leigh 25/1
7 WILLIE DARLING F Barrett C Arnull 3-8st 3lbs Mr Manton 25/1
8 METAL Fred Archer John Porter 3-8st 13lbs Duke of Westminster 4/1
This race took place on Tuesday 16th June 1885 and was won by a chesnut colt by Hake out of Oxford Mixture, who won a first prize of 2000 sovereigns from 20 subscribers (equivalent to £259,000 in 2020). Over round 110%
Prince of Wales's Stakes Group 1 1 mile 2 furlongs 1862
    1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869
1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879
1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885