The Hardwicke Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
History
The event is named in honour of the 5th Earl of Hardwicke, who served as the Master of the Buckhounds in the 19th century. It was established in 1879, and it was originally open to horses aged three or older. The last three-year-old to win was Helioscope in 1949.
The Hardwicke Stakes is now held on the final day of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting. The leading horses often return to the venue to compete in the following month's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The first to win both races in the same year was Aureole in 1954, and the most recent was Harbinger in 2010.
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Tristan – 1882, 1883, 1884
Leading jockey (7 wins):
- Lester Piggott – Elopement (1955), St Paddy (1961), Karabas (1970), Relay Race (1974), Meneval (1977), Critique (1982), Jupiter Island (1985)
- Pat Eddery – Charlie Bubbles (1975), Orange Bay (1976), Dihistan (1986), Assatis (1989), Rock Hopper (1991, 1992), Posidonas (1998)
Leading trainer (11 wins):
- Sir Michael Stoute – Dihistan (1986), Rock Hopper (1991, 1992), Maraahel (2006, 2007), Harbinger (2010), Sea Moon (2012), Telescope (2014), Snow Sky (2015), Dartmouth (2016), Crystal Ocean (2018)
Winners since 1923
Earlier winners
* The 1880 winner Exeter was later exported to Argentina and renamed El Plata.
See also
- Horse racing in Great Britain
- List of British flat horse races
References
- Paris-Turf:
- "1979"., "1980"., "1981"., "1983"., "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, 2017
- 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- galopp-sieger.de – Hardwicke Stakes.
- horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Hardwicke Stakes (2018).
- pedigreequery.com – Hardwicke Stakes – Ascot.
- Abelson, Edward; John Tyrrel (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. pp. 97–99. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.
