Middle Park Stakes

Middle Park Stakes

2016
The Last Lion	Blue Point	Mehmas

Previous years
2015
Shalaa	Buratino	Steady Pace
2014
Charming Thought	Ivawood	Muhaarar
2013
Astaire	Hot Streak	Justice Day
2012
Reckless Abandon	Moohaajim	Gale Force Ten
2011
Crusade	Lilbourne Lad	Reply

2010-2001
2010
Dream Ahead	Strong Suit	Approve
2009
Awzaan	Radiohead	Showcasing
2008
Bushranger	Sayif	Huntdown
2007
Dark Angel	Strike The Deal	Tajdeef
2006
Dutch Art	Wi Dud	Captain Marvelous
2005
Amadeus Wolf	Red Clubs	Always Hopeful
2004
Ad Valorem	Rebuttal	Iceman
2003
Balmont	Holborn	Auditorium
2002
Oasis Dream	Tomahawk	Elusive City
2001
Johannesburg	Zipping	Doc Holiday
2001
Johannesburg	Zipping	Doc Holiday

2000-1994
2000
Minardi	Red Carpet	Bad As I Wanna Be

2000-1991
2000
Minardi	Endless Summer	Red Carpet
1999
Primo Valentino	Fath	Brahms
1998
Lujain	Bertolini	Vision Of Night
1997
Hayil	Carrowkeel	Designer
1996
Bahamian Bounty	Muchea	In Command
1995
Royal Applause	Woodborough	Kahir Almaydan
1994
Fard	Green Perfume	Fallow
1993
First Trump	Owington	Redoubtable
1992
Zieten	Pips Pride	Factual
1991
Rodrigo De Triano	Lion Cavern	River Falls

1990-1988
1990
Lycius	Distinctly North	Majlood
1989
Balla Cove	Rock City	Cordoba
1988
Mon Tresor	Pure Genius	Northern Tryst

The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.

History

The event was founded by William Blenkiron, and it is named after his stud at Eltham. It was established in 1866, and was initially titled the Middle Park Plate. It was originally open to horses of either gender.

The race was formerly staged during Newmarket's Cambridgeshire Meeting in late September or early October. It was restricted to colts in 1987. It became part of a new fixture called Future Champions Day in 2011.

From 2015, the Middle Park Stakes was moved from Future Champions Day and brought forward two weeks, returning to the Cambridgeshire meeting, to avoid a clash with the similar Dewhurst Stakes.

The Middle Park Stakes was added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2012. The winner now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint.^[1]

The leading horses from the Middle Park Stakes sometimes go on to compete in the following season's 2,000 Guineas. The first to win both was Prince Charlie (1871–72), and the most recent was Rodrigo de Triano (1991–92).

Records

Leading jockey (6 wins):

• Danny Maher – Minstead (1901), Flotsam (1902), Lesbia (1907), Bayardo (1908), Lemberg (1909), Corcyra (1913)
• Sir Gordon Richards – Medieval Knight (1933), Scottish Union (1937), Khaled (1945), The Cobbler (1947), Abernant (1948), Royal Challenger (1953)
• Lester Piggott – Petingo (1967), Steel Heart (1974), Junius (1978), Mattaboy (1980), Cajun (1981), Diesis (1982)

Leading trainer (4 wins):

• Joseph Dawson – The Rake (1866), Frivolity (1869), Prince Charlie (1871), Peter (1878)
• John Porter – Green Sleeve (1867), Pero Gomez (1868), Friar's Balsam (1887), Orme (1891)
• Mathew Dawson – Busybody (1883), Melton (1884), Minting (1885), Ladas (1893)
• Peter Gilpin – Pretty Polly (1903), Flair (1905), Galvani (1906), Argos (1915)
• Atty Persse – Stefan the Great (1918), Tetratema (1919), Portlaw (1930), Hyacinthus (1940)
• Fred Darling – Press Gang (1929), Medieval Knight (1933), Sun Chariot (1941), The Cobbler (1947)
• Frank Butters – Felicitation (1932), Bahram (1934), Khaled (1945), Saravan (1946)
• Aidan O'Brien – Minardi (2000), Johannesburg (2001), Ad Valorem (2004), Crusade (2011)

Leading owner (6 wins):

• HH Aga Khan III – Diophon (1923), Costaki Pasha (1928), Felicitation (1932), Bahram (1934), Khaled (1945), Buisson Ardent (1955)

Winners since 1965

^a Three Valleys finished first in 2003, but he was subsequently disqualified after testing positive for a banned substance.

Earlier winners

* The 1940 running took place at Nottingham.

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British flat horse races
• Recurring sporting events established in 1866 – this race is included under its original title, Middle Park Plate.

References

• Paris-Turf:
  • "1979". , "1980". , "1982". , "1984". , "1985". , "1986". , "1987". 
• Racing Post:
  • "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".