Royal Ascot Day 4

We are now down to the penultimate day of world famous racing ...

Albany Stakes' History

The Albany Stakes is a Group Three race run at Royal Ascot over six furlongs for two-year-old filles and could well throw up a potential contender for the 1000 Guineas the following season.  Established in 2002, the race was originally run as a Listed contest, but was then promoted to its current status in 2005 and is now one of the highlights on the fourth day of Royal Ascot.

Mick Channon is certainly a trainer to watch out for in this race and since its inception the former England international footballer has bagged three victories in the contest and trained his first winner in 2003 with Silca's Gift.  Channon then teamed up with Jamie Spencer and the pair then racked up another brace of victories in the Albany Stakes with Nijoom Dubai bagging victory in 2007 before Samitar completed the trilogy in 2011 to cement the duo's name in the roll of honour.

Arguably, the finest winner of the race came in 2010 when Richard Hannon's Memory stormed to victory at the Royal meeting, but all didn't go to plan for the filly afterwards, as she went on to flop in the 1000 Guineas as she decided to stay put when the stalls opened and she finished last.

Even though no Classic winner has come out of the race in the first decade, it is sure to attract some top notch runners as it gains more prestige and it shouldn't be long before potential Guineas fillies will be utilising this contest as a springboard to bigger and better things.

Recent Winners of Albany Stakes

2002 - Duty Pai
2003 - Silca's Gift
2004 - Jewel In The Sand
2005 - La Chunga
2006 - Sander Camillo
2007 - Nijoom Dubai
2008 - Cuis Ghaire
2009 - Habaayib
2010 - Memory
2011 - Samitar
2012 - Newfangled
2013 - Kiyoshi
2014 - Cursory Glance

Wolferton Handicap History

The Wolferton Rated Stakes Handicap is a Listed race run at Royal Ascot over one mile, two furlongs for horses aged four years or older.  Taking place on the fourth day of the five-day meeting, this contest allows the horses that drop just below Group level to try and bag a Royal victory and it is fiercely competitive with double-figured fields lining up for what is another tricky conundrum for punters in the horse racing calendar.

Attracting the older horses in training this race can sometimes be used as a springboard to Group races, but a lot of the competitors could well be gradually dropping down the ratings and are dropped into handicap company to try and notch up a victory and grab the coveted prize.

Sir Michael Stoute has a decent record in the race and the legendary trainer has saddled two winners in the last decade as he first sent out Imperial Stride to victory in the 2005 renewal, before Perfect Stride regained the title for him in the 2009 running, as he fended off the well-fancied Godolphin runner Moonquake.

Michael Jarvis' Rainbow Peak was sent off a short-priced favourite for the 2010 renewal and the 13/8 shot disappoint favourite backers as he stormed to an impressive victory over Kings Gambit and that pair both went on to bigger and better things to highlight this race's ability to unearth a star.

Other notable winners in the last few renewals include Mick Channon's Championship Point who bagged the prize in 2007 and John Gosden's Beachfire who was a gallant winner in 2011.

Recent Winners of the Wolferton Handicap

2002 - Ulundi
2003 - In Time's Eyes
2004 - Red Fort
2005 - Imperial Stride
2006 - I'm So Lucky
2007 - Championship Point
2008 - Supaseus
2009 - Perfect Stride
2010 - Rainbow Peak
2011 - Beachfire
2012 - Gatewood
2013 - Forgotten Voice
2014 - Contributer

King Edward VII Stakes' History

The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group Two race run at Royal Ascot over one miles, four furlongs and is open to three-year-old horses.  Established in 1834, this contest is one of the highlights on day four of the Royal meeting and can sometimes attract runners who have taken part in the Epsom Derby a few weeks before.

Often this contest will be targeted by trainers who want to try their horses out at the longer trips and it is often used as a springboard to Group Ones later in the season and some notable winners of the King Edward VII Stakes have gone on to bag much greater achievements.

John Gosden's Nathaniel was a classy winner of the 2011 running and he went on to bag more Ascot glory by producing a sublime effort to win the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and cement his place as one of the star three-year-olds.

The top class winners of this race have often been sent over to Longchamp at te end of the season and try and grab victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe to highlight that this is a top class contest.

Other notable winners in the past include, Monterosso, who won the 2010 running before going on to win the 2012 Dubai World Cup, whilst Royal Anthem and Mutafaweq are another brace of cracking winners in what is one of the most eagerly-anticipated races of hte five-day Royal Ascot extravaganza.

Recent Winners of King Edward VII Stakes

2000 - Subtle Power
2001 - Storming Home
2002 - Balakheri
2003 - High Accolade
2004 - Five Dynasties
2005 - Plea Bargain
2006 - Papal Bull
2007 - Boscobel
2008 - Campanologist
2009 - Father Time
2010 - Monterosso
2011 - Nathaniel
2012 - Thomas Chippendale
2013 - Hillstar
2014 - Eagle Top

Coronation Stakes' History

The Coronation Stakes i s a Group One race run at Royal Ascot over one mile and is open to three-year-old fillies.   Established in 1840, the race was run to commemorate the coronation of Queen Victoria and eventually gained Group One status in 1988 and is now one of the leading fixtures for fillies throughout the whole season.

Taking place on the fourth day of Royal Ascot the Coronation Stakes usually attracts many runners who have contested the 1000 Guineas earlier in the season and many have managed to bag both events.

One name that stands out in the early decades of the race is Pretty Polly, who won the 1000 Guineas before bagging glory in the Coronation Stakes and also the Epsom Oaks and Nassau Stakes all in the same season.

More recently Ridgewood Pearl won the Irish 1000 Guineas en route to Royal Ascot and breezed to Coronation Stakes success for trainer John Oxx. At the turn of the century Russian Rhythm won the 2003 renewal after winning the Epsom Classic before venturing on to Glorious Goodwood to win the Nassau Stakes and more Group One glory.

Attracting more and more European runners it was Robert Collet's French raider Immortal Verse who won the 2011 Coronation Stakes to show that the race now has a strong international look to it.

Recent Winners of Coronation Stakes

2000 - Crimplene
2001 - Banks Hill
2002 - Sophisticat
2003 - Russian Rhythm
2004 - Attraction
2005 - Maids Causeway
2006 - Nannina
2007 - Indian Ink
2008 - Lush Lashes
2009 - Ghanaati
2010 - Lillie Langtry
2011 - Immortal Verse
2012 - Fallen For You
2013 - Sky Lantern
2014 - Rizeena

Queen's Vase History

The Queen's Vase is a Group Three race run at Royal Ascot over two miles for three-year-old horses and is one of the highlights on the fourth day of the five-day extravaganza.  Established in 1838, the Queen's Vase has had various names over the last two centuries, but it has been kept with its current name since 1960 and was eventually handed Group Three status in 1991 and attracts some of the leading stayers of the Classic generation.

Trainers will often use the race as a springboard to staying glory later on in their career and it is often seen that contenders in this race will return to Royal Ascot and the top class horses will take part in the Ascot Gold Cup.

Sir Henry Cecil has a phenomenal record in the contest and the Warren Place handler saddled his first victory in 1972 when Falkland notched up victory in the race, whilst 1999 winner Endoresement handed the legendary trainer his eighth winner in the race.

Recent notable winners of the race include Saeed Bin Suroor's Mamool, who used his victory in 2002 as a stepping stone to Cup races and he managed to bag success in the 2003 Yorkshire Cup at the Ebor Festival.  Mark Johnston gained a brace of successes in 2009 and 2011 as Holberg and Namibian stormed to victory and they went on to be names to follow in the staying division.  In 2014 he did it again with Hartnell.

Recent Winners of Queen's Vase

2000 - Dalampour
2001 - And Beyond
2002 - Mamool
2003 - Shanty Star
2004 - Duke Of Venice
2005 - Melrose Avenue
2006 - Soapy Danger
2007 - Mahler
2008 - Patkai
2009 - Holberg
2010 - Mikhail Glinka
2011 - Namibian
2012 - Estimate
2013 - Feel Like Dancing
2014 - Hartnell

Buckingham Palace Stakes' History

The Buckingham Palace Stakes is a handicap race run at Royal Ascot over seven furlongs for horses aged three years or older.  Run as the last race on day four of the five-day Royal meeting, this contest was introduced when the it was extended to five days and it now gives another chance for horses that just drop below Pattern level to try and bag glory at the flat highlight of the year.

Sometimes used as a stepping stone by trainers to black-type races, the Buckingham Palace Stakes can also attract some of the ageing stars who are gradually falling down the ladder. Attracting fields in excess of 25 runners, this is widely regarded as one of the most competitive races of the entire meeting and it can throw up some shock results.

Dandy Nicholls' Regal Parade was a surprise 25/1 winner of the race in 2008 and he went on to be a classy sprinter at Group level, whilst the likes of Binanti, who won at 33/1 and Uhoomagoo at 25/1 show that it can often be difficult for punters to work out who is going to be victorious.

Other notable winners of the Buckingham Palace Stakes include John Gosden's Demonstrate, who was the inaugural winner of the event in 2002, whilst Brian Meehan's Manassas was another eye-catching winner in the 2011 running as the race continued to grow in stature.

Recent Winners of Buckingham Palace Stakes

2002 - Demonstrate
2003 - Attache
2004 - Unscrupulous
2005 - Jedburgh
2006 - Uhoomagoo
2007 - Binanti
2008 - Regal Parade
2009 - Giganticus
2010 - Treadwell
2011 - Manassas
2012 - Eton Forever
2013 - Lightning Cloud
2014 - Louis The Pious