Races

The English Classics

... are restricted to horses aged

3 years

See also below (under Other) for distances and first runnings.

The English 'Triple Crown' – for colts and fillies	Run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, in late April or early May		2,000 Guineas
	Run at Doncaster in September		St. Leger
	Run at Epsom in early June		The Derby
The other two English 'classics' – for fillies only	Run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket, on the day after the 2,000 Guineas		1,000 Guineas
	Run at Epsom in early June; described as "the fillies' equivalent of the Derby" – same course, same distance		The Oaks

The St. Leger was first run in 1776 – the same year that the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. Originally advertised as "A Sweepstake of 25 Guineas", it was renamed the following year in honour of its founder, Anthony St. Leger – an Irish–born army officer, who had been MP for Grimsby from 1768 to 1774.

The Oaks was first held in 1779, and the Derby in 1780. The 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas followed in 1809 and 1814 respectively, and by the 1860s these five races (the leading English events for three–year–olds) were being referred to as Classics.

More details on these five races (courses and distances) can be found in the main table, below.

Other (British)

Comments	Course	Distance	Since		Name
Oldest of the 'classics', run in September	Doncaster	1m 1447 yds	1776		St. Leger
Named after the home of the 12th Earl of Derby	Epsom	1m 890 yds	1779		Oaks
Britain's richest horse race, and the most prestigious of the five Classics. Sometimes referred to as the "Blue Riband" of the turf	Epsom	1m 4f	1780		Derby
	Ayr	6f	1804		Ayr Gold Cup
Premier long distance flat race – highlight of Royal Ascot	Ascot	2m 4f	1807		Ascot Gold Cup
The other early season 'classic'	Newmarket	1m	1809		2,000 Guineas
Held on the opening day of the five-day Glorious Goodwood meeting	Goodwood	2m 5f	1812		Goodwood Cup
The first 'classic' of the English season	Newmarket	1m	1814		1,000 Guineas
One of the oldest handicaps still going	Chester	2m 537 yds	1824		Chester Cup
Shorter 'half' of the 'Autumn Double'	Newmarket	1m 1f	1839		Cambridgeshire Handicap
Longer half of the 'Autumn Double' – named after the future Alexander II of Russia, who attended the inaugural race	Newmarket	2m 2f	1839		Cesarewitch Handicap
The world's most famous steeplechase	Aintree	4m 4f	1839		Grand National
Held respectively on the fifth (final) and second days of Glorious Goodwood (in late July or early August); the first was previously on the opening day	Goodwood	6 f	1840		Stewards' Cup
	Goodwood	1 m	1841		Sussex Stakes
Principal handicap of the Royal Ascot meeting	Ascot	1 m	1843		Royal Hunt Cup
	York	1m 6f	1843		Ebor Handicap
For 3–year–old fillies only	York	1m 4f	1849		Yorkshire Oaks
The first big handicap of the season: run on the first Saturday of the flat racing season (usually one or two weeks before the Grand National); along with the Grand National, makes up the so–called 'Spring Double'	Doncaster	1 m	1853		Lincoln(shire) Handicap
Australia's most prestigious race – first Tuesday in November	Flemington	3200 metres	1861		Melbourne Cup
Premier sprint race of the Royal Ascot meeting	Ascot	5f	1862		King's Stand Stakes
The longest race in the English Flat season – part of Royal Ascot	Ascot	2m 6f	1864		Queen Alexandra Stakes
Once known as the 'Two–year–olds' Championship'	Newmarket	6f	1866		Middle Park Stakes
Run over the last 6 furlongs of the Bunbury Mile – 2yr–old fillies only	Newmarket	6f	1870		Cheveley Park Stakes
End–of–season race at Newmarket, for 2–yr–olds	Newmarket	7f	1875		Three Chimneys Stakes
Named after the month in which it's run	Newmarket	6f	1876		July Cup
Name prefixed with 'Dubai' since 1982	Newmarket	1m 2f	1877		Champion Stakes
Run in July; sponsored since 1976 by Coral	Sandown Park	1m 2f	1886		Eclipse Stakes
Group 2 race, usually run on the opening day of Royal Ascot	Ascot	6f	1890		Coventry Stakes
Raced at Epsom the day after the Derby	Epsom	1m 4f	1902		Coronation Cup
First and most prestigious race of the National Hunt season (22 fences)	Cheltenham	3m 462 yds	1924		Cheltenham Gold Cup
England's leading race for hurdlers	Cheltenham	2 ms	1927		Champion Hurdle
Traditional Boxing Day race at Kempton Park	Kempton Park	3 ms	1947		King George VI Chase
One of Europe's leading weight–for–age races	Ascot	1m 4f	1951		King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Stakes
First British race to attract major sponsorship	Sandown Park	3m 1118 yds	1957		Whitbread Gold Cup
Run at Cheltenham since 1960	Cheltenham	2m 4f	1960		Mackeson Gold Cup
Run at Newbury since 1960 (Cheltenham 1957–9)	Newbury	3m 522 yds	1960		Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup
Principal race of York's three–day August meeting	York	1m 528 yds	1972		International Stakes

Other (Overseas)

Comments	Course	Distance	Since		Name
Often described as the French Oaks (it's for 3–year–old fillies)	Chantilly	2,100m (1m 2½f)	1843		Prix de Diane
Australia's most prestigious horse race	Flemington	3,200m (1.988 miles)	1861		Melbourne Cup
Oldest of the USA's Triple Crown (New York)	Belmont Park	1m 4f	1867		Belmont Stakes
Third race of the USA's Triple Crown	Pimlico	1m 1.5f	1873		Preakness Stakes
USA's most prestigious race (Louisville)	Churchill Downs	1m 2f	1875		Kentucky Derby
Europe's most prestigious race — first Sunday in October	Longchamp	2,400 metres	1920		Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Annual event comprising a series of prestigious races, at a different US course in November each year: first held in 1984, and operated by a company formed for the purpose; a single–day event until 2006, two days since 2007	(Various)	(Various)	1984		Breeders' Cup
Ireland's richest race (2–yr–olds) — prize €1m — no longer run (Phoenix Park racecourse closed in 1990)	Phoenix Park	7f	1988		Cartier Million
The world's richest race — $10m in 2015	Nad Al Sheba	2,000 metres (about 1m 2f)	1996		Dubai World Cup

© Haydn Thompson 2017–20