Horse Racing - King Charles III Stakes
Staged on the first day of the Royal meeting each June at Ascot racecourse in Berkshire, England over the shortest possible distance in racing, five furlongs (1,006 metres), this is one of the premier sprints in the UK racing calendar.
It is open to horses aged three years or older. It became a Group 1 event in 1973 under the name "King's Stand Stakes" but its predecessor was actually at the other extreme of the racing slate, a stamina event over two miles called the Royal Stand Plate. In 1860, heavy rain made it impossible to run that race, so it was shortened to five furlongs on the only raceable part of the course and named the Queen's Stand Plate.
It became the King's Stand Stakes following the monarch's death in 1901. The race was downgraded to Group 2 level from 1988-2007 but returned to the elite level in 2008. In 2023 it was renamed the King Charles III Stakes.
The winners since the race has had Group 1 status (1988-2007 were Group 2) have been:
| YEAR | WINNER | JOCKEY | TRAINER |
| 1973 | ABERGWAUN | L Piggott | V O'Brien |
| 1974 | BAY EXPRESS | B Taylor | P Nelson |
| 1975 | FLIRTING AROUND | Y St Martin | R Carver |
| 1976 | LOCHNAGER | E Hide | M Easterby |
| 1977 | GOD'S WALK | L Piggott | V O'Brien |
| 1978 | SOLINUS | L Piggott | V O'Brien |
| 1979 | DOUBLE FORM | J Reid | F Johnson-H |
| 1980 | AFRICAN SONG | P Eddery | P Kelleway |
| 1981 | MARWELL | W Sw'burn | M Stoute |
| 1982 | FEARLESS LAD | E Hide | D Peacock |
| 1983 | SAYF EL ARAB | T Thomas | B O'Gorman |
| 1984 | HABIBTI | W Carson | J Dunlop |
| 1985 | NEVER SO BOLD | L Piggott | R Armstrong |
| 1986 | LAST TYCOON | C Asm'sen | R Collet |
| 1987 | BLUEBIRD | C Asm'sen | V O'Brien |
| *1988 | CHILIBANG | W Carson | J Dunlop |
| *1989 | INDIAN RIDGE | S Cauthen | D Elsworth |
| *1990 | DAYJUR | W Carson | D Hern |
| *1991 | ELBIO | S Cauthen | P Makin |
| *1992 | SHEIKH ALBADOU | W Sw'burn | A Scott |
| *1993 | ELBIO | W Sw'burn | P Makin |
| *1994 | LOCH SONG | F Dettori | I Balding |
| *1995 | PICCOLO | R Hughes | M Channon |
| *1996 | PIVOTAL | G Duffield | M Prescott |
| *1997 | DON'T WORRY ME | O Peslier | G Henrot |
| *1998 | BOLSHOI | C Lowther | J Berry |
| *1999 | MITCHAM | R Quinn | T Mills |
| *2000 | NUCLEAR DEBATE | G Mosse | J Hammond |
| *2001 | CASSANDRA GO | M Roberts | G Wragg |
| *2002 | DOMINICA | M Dwyer | M Tregoning |
| *2003 | CHOISIR | J Murtagh | P Perry |
| *2004 | THE TATLING | D Holland | M Bradley |
| *2005 | CHINEUR | C Lemaire | M Delzangles |
| *2006 | TAKEOVER TARGET | J Ford | J Janiak |
| *2007 | MISS ANDRETTI | C Newitt | L Freedman |
| 2008 | EQUIANO | O Peslier | M Delcher S |
| 2009 | SCENIC BLAST | S Arnold | D Morton |
| 2010 | EQUIANO | M Hills | B Hills |
| 2011 | PROHIBIT | J Crowley | R Cowell |
| 2012 | LITTLE BRIDGE | Z Purton | D Shum |
| 2013 | SOLE POWER | J Murtagh | E Lynam |
| 2014 | SOLE POWER | R Hughes | E Lynam |
| 2015 | GOLDREAM | M Harley | R Cowell |
| 2016 | PROFITABLE | A Kirby | C Cox |
| 2017 | LADY AURELIA | J Velazquez | W Ward |
| 2018 | BLUE POINT | W Buick | C Appleby |
| 2019 | BLUE POINT | J Doyle | C Appleby |
| 2020 | BATTAASH | J Crowley | C Hills |
| 2021 | OXTED | C Fallon | R Teal |
| 2022 | NATURE STRIP | J McDonald | C Waller |
| 2023 | BRADSELL | H Doyle | A Watson |
| 2024 | ASFOORA | O Murphy | H Dwyer |
* Group 2 status
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