Royal Ascot: Queen Alexandra Stakes

The Queen Alexandra Stakes, named after the consort of King Edward VII, is a flat race over 2 miles 5 furlongs and 159 yards open to horses aged four years or older. It was established in 1864, and it was originally called the Alexandra Plate. It later became known as the Alexandra Stakes, and it was given its current title in 1931. It was formerly contested over 2 miles, 6 furlongs and 34 yards, but it was shortened as a result of the realignment of Ascot's track in 2005. The Queen Alexandra Stakes, the longest flat race in Britain, is traditionally the last race on the final day of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting. It sometimes features horses which ran on the opening day in the Ascot Stakes, and the most recent to win both in the same year was Simenon in 2012.
Early history:- A massive field of 29 contested the very first running of the Alexandra Plate, forerunner of the Queen Alexandra Stakes, over the Old Mile on Friday 10th June 1864. It was won by Mr J Lowe's Anglo-Saxon (20/1) who defeated Crisis (5/1) and Exchequer (8/1) by 2 lengths and a length and a half.
Alexandra Plate 1868 Conditions race Old Mile course (3 miles)
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 BLINKHOOLIE Custance Bloss 4-10st 0lbs Mr Chaplin 2/1 fav
2 TROCADERO Grimshaw Tom Jennings 4-10st 0lbs Count F De Lagrange 10/1
3 YOUNG MELBOURNE colt George Fordham Joseph Dawson 4-10st 0lbs Lord Glasgow 6/1
4 WESTWICK T French John Scott 5 10st 8lbs Mr Bowes 6/1
5 TYNEDALE John Osborne Tom Dawson 4-10st 0lbs Mr J Johnstone 5/2
6 ASSINEBOINE J Mann Rogers 4-9st 10lbs Colonel Lowther 25/1
7 DALESMAN J Daley Joseph Hayhoe 5-10st 8lbs Baron Rothschild 10/1
8 EDENBRIDGE Cooper Dane (Private) 4-9st 7lbs Mr Dane 25/1
The Alexandra Plate, forerunner of the Queen Alexandra Stakes, was held over the Old Mile on Friday 12th June 1868 when won by a bay horse by Rataplan out of Queen Mary, won a first prize of 1450 sovereigns from 18 subscribers (equivalent to £165,000 in 2020). Over round 115%
Queen Alexandra Stakes Conditions race 2 miles 5 furlongs 159 yards 1864
        1864 1865 1866 1867 1868