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 1900 Group 1 5 furlongs
Pos. Horse Jockey Trainer Owner
1 EAGER Morny Cannon Peter Gilpin Mr L Neumann 7/4 fav
2 DOMINO filly Tod Sloan Sam Darling Mr James R Keene 5/1
3 CORN FLAG C Archer C Archer Mr C Archer 100/8
4 BLUE DIAMOND Sam Loates John Dawson jnr Mr E Foster 100/8
5 LOTHIAN LAD C Wood C Wood Lord Rosebery 100/8
6 MAJADI Otto Madden James Waugh Mr Russel 20/1
7 MANHATTAN BOY Johnny Reiff Wishard Mr Richard Croker 5/2
8 FIELD MARSHALL Wetherell Daly (Ireland) Mr Marcus Daly 20/1
9 CHANCE SHOT T Broom Robinson Mr W T Robinson 20/1
10 MONEYSPINNER W Lane Woodman Mr M Pizzey 20/1
The Queen's Stand Plate took place on Friday 15th June 1900 and the winner, a bay horse by Enthusiast out of Greeba, won a first prize of a piece of plate valued at 800 sovereigns, and 930 sovereigns (equivalent to £115,000 in 2020). Over round 123%
King's Stand Stakes Group 1 5 furlongs 1860
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