Eclipse Stakes at Sandown

This section is dedicated to Roy and Caroline Hirons, for the Eclipse Stakes remains Roy's favourite race. His first memory of the race was in 1955 when his father allowed him to tag along to Sandown Park, Roy's first visit to a racetrack, and one which started a lifelong passion for the sport. He vividly remembers Darius (11/10 fav) passing the post first with Lester Piggott on board, but is not certain whether he, or his dad, backed him. The horse was owned by Sir Percy Loraine and trained by Harry Wragg. Since that first visit Roy has attended almost every Eclipse Stakes day, and has endeavoured to collect Eclipse day racecards, both before 1955 and on the occasions he has personally attended since, many of which are displayed on the pages on this site dedicated to each year of the race. Roy is devoted to ensuring the memory of his former local racecourse at Pershore remains in people's memories. Despite the racecourse no longer existing, Roy has helped organise an annual raceday at Worcester racecourse when the former race names of Pershore are remembered, particularly the Land O' Plums Chase.
The Eclipse race itself, for 3-year-olds and above over 1 mile 1 furlong and 209 yards, celebrates Eclipse, one of the most famous racehorses of all time, and was first staged in 1886 with a prize of £10,000 donated by the philanthropist Leopold de Rothschild, equivalent to just over £1 million in today's terms, making it the richest race in Britain at that time. That inaugural running was won by Bendigo, owned by H T Barclay, trained at Seven Barrows Stables in Lambourn by Charles Jousiffe, and ridden by Tom Cannon senior. Since then it has been run annually in July at Sandown apart from a break between 1915-1918 due to the First World War, from 1940-1945 due to the Second World War, 1946 at Ascot, and in 1973 when the race was held at neighbouring Kempton Park, and often tests the ability of the Derby winner against the older generation.

            1886 1887 1888 1889
1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899
1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909
1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 Did not take place due to First World War 1919
1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939
Did not take place due to Second World War 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024          
l m m m m m m m m m
1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses

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