Jockey Club Stakes

The Jockey Club Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres) on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in late April or early May.

History

The event was introduced by the Jockey Club in 1894. It was originally held in the autumn, and was initially run over 1 mile and 2 furlongs.

In the early part of its history, the Jockey Club Stakes was open to horses aged three or older. It sometimes featured one or more of the season's Classic winners. It was extended to 1 mile and 6 furlongs in 1901.

The race continued to be staged in the autumn until 1962. It was switched to the spring and cut to 1 mile and 4 furlongs in 1963. It was subsequently closed to three-year-olds.

The Jockey Club Stakes is currently held on the opening day of Newmarket's two-day Guineas Festival meeting. It is run on the same day as the 2,000 Guineas.

The leading contenders from the Jockey Club Stakes often go on to compete in the Coronation Cup. The last to win both races in the same year was Shirocco in 2006.

Jockey Club

The Jockey Club is the largest commercial organisation in British horseracing, however as it is governed by Royal Charter, all profits it makes are reinvested back into the sport. No longer responsible for the governance and regulation of British horseracing, today it owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amongst other concerns such as the National Stud, and the property and land management company, Jockey Club Estates. The registered charity Racing Welfare is also a company limited by guarantee with the Jockey Club being the sole member.

Formerly the regulator for the sport, the Jockey Club's responsibilities were transferred to the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (now the British Horseracing Authority) in 2006.

History

The Jockey Club has long been thought to have been founded in 1750 - a year recognised by the club themselves from their own historic records. Some claim it was created earlier, in the 1720s, while others suggest it may have existed in the first decade of the century.