Blue Riband Trial Stakes
Listed race | |
Location | Epsom Downs Epsom, England |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1937 |
Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
Sponsor | Betfred |
Website | Epsom Downs |
Race information | |
Distance | 1m 2f 17y (2,027 m) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | Three-year-olds |
Weight | 9 st 3 lb Allowances 5 lb for fillies Penalties 5 lb for Group 1 or 2 winners 3 lb for Group 3 or Listed winners |
Purse | £50,000 (2024) 1st: £28,355 |
Bonuses | Wildcard Derby entry |
2024 | ||
Bellum Justum | Defiance | Chief Little Rock |
Previous years | ||
---|---|---|
2023 | ||
Epictetus | Hadrianus | Cite D'Or |
2022 | ||
Nahanni | Grand Alliance | Zain Sarinda |
2021 | ||
Wirko | Technique | Uncle Bryn |
1990-1988 | ||
---|---|---|
1990 | ||
Eton Lad | Lifewatch Vision | Mutah |
1989 | ||
Shining Steel | Dawn Success | Tatsfield |
1988 | ||
Shuja | St Cadoc | Ilishpour |
The Blue Riband Trial Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 17 yards (2,027 metres) at Epsom in April.
History
[edit]Established in 1937, the Blue Riband Trial Stakes replaced a previous event called the Nonsuch Plate.[1] It was originally contested over 1 mile and 110 yards.[2]
The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Blue Riband Trial Stakes was given Group 3 status. It was relegated to Listed level in 1986, and it later became an ungraded conditions race.
The Blue Riband Trial Stakes was discontinued for several years in the mid-1990s. It returned in 1997, and from this point its distance was 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards. It was cut to 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 18 yards in 1999.
The race was renamed the Investec Derby Trial in 2010, when the banking group Investec took over the sponsorship. The race reverted to its original name of Blue Riband Trial from the 2018 running.
The event can serve as a trial for The Derby (flat racing's "Blue Riband"). It was upgraded to Listed status again in 2018.[3]
The last winner of the trial to achieve victory in the Derby was Blue Peter in 1939.
Records
[edit]Leading jockey since 1970 (5 wins):
- Frankie Dettori - Christophermarlowe (2015), So Mi Dar (2016), Cracksman (2017), Crossed Baton (2018), Epictetus (2023)
Leading trainer since 1970 (7 wins):
- John Gosden - Raincoat (2007), Debussy (2009), Christophermarlowe (2015), So Mi Dar (2016), Cracksman (2017), Crossed Baton (2018), Epictetus (2023)
Winners since 1970
[edit]Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
1970 | Decies | Lester Piggott | Bernard van Cutsem | 1:52.50 |
1971 | Spoiled Lad | Ernie Johnson | Bernard van Cutsem | 1:43.99 |
1972 | Baragoi | Willie Carson | Bernard van Cutsem | 1:49.50 |
1973 | Gospill Hill | Geoff Lewis | Noel Murless | 1:47.80 |
1974 | Pitcairn | Ron Hutchinson | John Dunlop | 1:44.60 |
1975 | Romper | Frank Morby | Fulke Johnson Houghton | 1:55.30 |
1976 | Oats | Pat Eddery | Peter Walwyn | 1:46.30 |
1977 | Be My Guest | Lester Piggott | Vincent O'Brien | 1:46.45 |
1978 | Roland Gardens | Frankie Durr | Duncan Sasse | 1:48.56 |
1979 | Foveros | Edward Hide | Clive Brittain | |
1980 | Last Fandango | Steve Cauthen | Barry Hills | |
1981 | Centurius | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | |
1982 | Count Pahlen | Geoff Baxter | Bruce Hobbs | |
1983 | no race [a] | |||
1984 | Long Pond | George Duffield | Paul Kelleway | |
1985 | Lightning Dealer | Pat Eddery | Paul Kelleway | |
1986 | Beldale Star | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | |
1987 | Lyphento | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | |
1988 | Shuja | Richard Hills | Harry Thomson Jones | 1:55.08 |
1989 | Shining Steel | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 1:54.30 |
1990 | Eton Lad | Pat Eddery | Neville Callaghan | 1:44.28 |
1991 | Fair Average [b] | Chris Rutter | Henry Candy | 1:40.05 |
no race 1992–96 | ||||
1997 | Palio Sky | Pat Eddery | John Dunlop | 2:39.94 |
1998 | The Glow-Worm | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 2:51.44 |
1999 | Daliapour | Gérald Mossé | Luca Cumani | 2:13.38 |
2000 | Eternal Spring | Kieren Fallon | Ed Dunlop | 2:20.81 |
2001 | Storming Home | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 2:20.79 |
2002 | Swing Wing | Jimmy Fortune | Paul Cole | 2:11.17 |
2003 | Franklins Gardens | Darryll Holland | Mark Tompkins | 2:09.70 |
2004 | Bull Run | Johnny Murtagh | David Loder | 2:20.44 |
2005 | Hallhoo | Ted Durcan | Mick Channon | 2:14.56 |
2006 | Before You Go | Ian Mongan | Terry Mills | 2:14.02 |
2007 | Raincoat | Richard Hughes | John Gosden | 2:08.35 |
2008 | Curtain Call [c] | Jamie Spencer | Luca Cumani | 2:14.44 |
2009 | Debussy | Jimmy Fortune | John Gosden | 2:08.92 |
2010 | Dreamspeed | Jimmy Fortune | Andrew Balding | 2:09.88 |
2011 | Slumber | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 2:08.98 |
2012 | Goldoni | David Probert | Andrew Balding | 2:22.00 |
2013 | Mirsaale | Neil Callan | James Tate | 2:08.35 |
2014 | Our Channel | Ryan Moore | William Haggas | 2:10.57 |
2015 | Christophermarlowe | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 2:07.92 |
2016 | So Mi Dar | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 2:18.97 |
2017 | Cracksman | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 2:10.73 |
2018 | Crossed Baton | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 2:11.35 |
2019 | Cape Of Good Hope | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 2:06.28 |
no race 2020 [d] | ||||
2021 | Wirko | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 2:11.41 |
2022 | Nahanni | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 2:10.48 |
2023 | Epictetus | Frankie Dettori | John and Thady Gosden | 2:20.00 |
2024 | Bellum Justum | Oisin Murphy | Andrew Balding | 2:08.75 |
- ^ The 1983 race was abandoned due to waterlogging
- ^ The 1991 running took place at Kempton Park over a distance of 1 mile
- ^ The 2008 edition was run at Nottingham over 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 50 yards
- ^ The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom[4]
Earlier winners
[edit]- 1937: Printer
- 1938: Chatsworth
- 1939: Blue Peter
- 1940–46: no race
- 1947: Combat
- 1948: King's Counsel
- 1949: Grani
- 1950: Port o'Light
- 1951: Zucchero
- 1952: Castleton
- 1953: Premonition
- 1954: Ambler II
- 1955: Sierra Nevada
- 1956: Monterey
- 1957: Tempest
- 1958: Miner's Lamp
- 1959: My Aladdin
- 1960: Vienna
- 1961: No Fiddling
- 1962: Cyrus
- 1963: The Bo'sun
- 1964: Minor Portion
- 1965: Cambridge
- 1966: Pretendre
- 1967: Starry Halo
- 1968: Society
- 1969: Caliban
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "1936 Nonsuch Plate". Glasgow Herald. 24 April 1936. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "1937 Blue Riband Trial Stakes". Glasgow Herald. 23 April 1937. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ^ "Progress continues on stayers' project following further Pattern race upgrades". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ^ "Coronavirus: Horse racing in Great Britain suspended until end of April". BBC Sport. 17 March 2020.
- Paris-Turf:
- Racing Post:
- galopp-sieger.de – Blue Riband Trial Stakes.
- pedigreequery.com – Blue Riband Trial Stakes – Epsom.