Royal Ascot: King's Stand Stakes

The King's Stand Stakes was created as a result of bad weather at Royal Ascot in 1860. Heavy rain made it impossible to run the Royal Stand Plate over its usual distance of 2 miles, so it was shortened to 5 furlongs on the only raceable part of the course. The amended version was called the Queen's Stand Plate, and it subsequently became the most important sprint at the Royal meeting. For a time it was open to horses aged two or older. It was renamed the King's Stand Stakes following the death of Queen Victoria and the accession of King Edward VII in 1901. The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the King's Stand Stakes was given Group 1 status in 1973, although it was downgraded to Group 2 level in 1988, but regained its Group 1 status in 2008 and is contested on the opening day of the Royal meeting.
Early history:-The inaugural running of the Queen's Stand Plate for 300 sovereigns, on Tuesday 5th June 1860, saw a large field of superior quality headed by Baron Rothschild's Queen of the Vale (100/6) ridden by John Daley in a canter by 3 lengths from Brown Duchess (5/1), with two lengths back to Satellite (7/1) in third, and 14 others further adrift.

Queen's Stand Plate 1881 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Age/weight Owner
1 ISHMAEL John Osborne Bates 3-8st 6lbs Mr R Jardine 6/1
2 CHARIBERT Fred Archer Mathew Dawson 5-10st 8lbs Mr R C Vyner 2/5 fav
3 ROYSTERER George Fordham Joe Cannon 3-8st 6lbs Lord Rosebery 5/1
The Queen's Stand Plate took place on Friday 17th June 1881 and the winner, a bay colt by Adventurer out of Lins, won a first prize of a piece of plate valued at 300 sovereigns, and stakes of 100 sovereigns from 10 subscribers (equivalent to £49,000 in 2020). Over round 102%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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1880 1881