Blue Riband Trial Stakes

The Blue Riband Trial Stakes, sponsored by Investec, is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 17 yards (2,027 metres) at Epsom in April.

Blue Riband Trial Stakes
Listed race
LocationEpsom Downs
Epsom, England
Inaugurated1937
Race typeFlat / Thoroughbred
SponsorInvestec
WebsiteEpsom Downs
Race information
Distance1m 2f 17y (2,027 m)
SurfaceTurf
TrackLeft-handed
QualificationThree-year-olds
Weight9 st 1 lb
Allowances
5 lb for fillies
Penalties
5 lb for Group 1 or 2 winners
3 lb for Group 3 or Listed winners
Purse£50,000 (2019)
1st: £28,355
BonusesWildcard Derby entry
Epsom Derby Trial
2019
Cape Of Good Hope Cap Francais Turgenev

History

Established in 1937, the Blue Riband Trial Stakes replaced a previous event called the Nonsuch Plate.[1] It was originally contested over 1 mile and 110 yards.[2]

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Blue Riband Trial Stakes was given Group 3 status. It was relegated to Listed level in 1986, and it later became an ungraded conditions race.

The Blue Riband Trial Stakes was discontinued for several years in the mid-1990s. It returned in 1997, and from this point its distance was 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 10 yards. It was cut to 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 18 yards in 1999.

The race was renamed the Investec Derby Trial in 2010, when the banking group Investec took over the sponsorship.

The event can serve as a trial for The Derby (flat racing's "Blue Riband"). The Derby is also currently sponsored by Investec. An automatic entry for the trial winner was introduced in 2012.[3] It was upgraded to Listed status again in 2018[4] and reverted to its original name of Blue Riband Trial.

The last winner of the trial to achieve victory in the Derby was Blue Peter in 1939.

Records

Leading jockey since 1970 (4 wins):

  • Pat Eddery – Oats (1976), Lightning Dealer (1985), Eton Lad (1990), Palio Sky (1997)
  • Frankie Dettori - Christophermarlowe (2015), So Mi Dar (2016), Cracksman (2017), Crossed Baton (2018)

Leading trainer since 1970 (6 wins):

  • John Gosden - Raincoat (2007), Debussy (2009), Christophermarlowe (2015), So Mi Dar (2016), Cracksman (2017), Crossed Baton (2018)

Winners since 1970
Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time
1970 Decies Lester Piggott Bernard van Cutsem 1:52.50
1971 Spoiled Lad Ernie Johnson Bernard van Cutsem 1:43.99
1972 Baragoi Willie Carson Bernard van Cutsem 1:49.50
1973 Gospill Hill Geoff Lewis Noel Murless 1:47.80
1974 Pitcairn Ron Hutchinson John Dunlop 1:44.60
1975 Romper Frank Morby Fulke Johnson Houghton 1:55.30
1976 Oats Pat Eddery Peter Walwyn 1:46.30
1977 Be My Guest Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 1:46.45
1978 Roland Gardens Frankie Durr Duncan Sasse 1:48.56
1979 Foveros Edward Hide Clive Brittain
1980 Last Fandango Steve Cauthen Barry Hills
1981 Centurius Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute
1982 Count Pahlen Geoff Baxter Bruce Hobbs
1983 no race [lower-alpha 1]
1984 Long Pond George Duffield Paul Kelleway
1985 Lightning Dealer Pat Eddery Paul Kelleway
1986 Beldale Star Greville Starkey Guy Harwood
1987 Lyphento Greville Starkey Guy Harwood
1988 Shuja Richard Hills Harry Thomson Jones 1:55.08
1989 Shining Steel Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 1:54.30
1990 Eton Lad Pat Eddery Neville Callaghan 1:44.28
1991 Fair Average [lower-alpha 2] Chris Rutter Henry Candy 1:40.05
1992 no race 1992–96
1997 Palio Sky Pat Eddery John Dunlop 2:39.94
1998 The Glow-Worm Michael Hills Barry Hills 2:51.44
1999 Daliapour Gérald Mossé Luca Cumani 2:13.38
2000 Eternal Spring Kieren Fallon Ed Dunlop 2:20.81
2001 Storming Home Michael Hills Barry Hills 2:20.79
2002 Swing Wing Jimmy Fortune Paul Cole 2:11.17
2003 Franklins Gardens Darryll Holland Mark Tompkins 2:09.70
2004 Bull Run Johnny Murtagh David Loder 2:20.44
2005 Hallhoo Ted Durcan Mick Channon 2:14.56
2006 Before You Go Ian Mongan Terry Mills 2:14.02
2007 Raincoat Richard Hughes John Gosden 2:08.35
2008 Curtain Call [lower-alpha 3] Jamie Spencer Luca Cumani 2:14.44
2009 Debussy Jimmy Fortune John Gosden 2:08.92
2010 Dreamspeed Jimmy Fortune Andrew Balding 2:09.88
2011 Slumber Michael Hills Barry Hills 2:08.98
2012 Goldoni David Probert Andrew Balding 2:22.00
2013 Mirsaale Neil Callan James Tate 2:08.35
2014 Our Channel Ryan Moore William Haggas 2:10.57
2015 Christophermarlowe Frankie Dettori John Gosden 2:07.92
2016 So Mi Dar Frankie Dettori John Gosden 2:18.97
2017 Cracksman Frankie Dettori John Gosden 2:10.73
2018 Crossed Baton Frankie Dettori John Gosden 2:11.35
2019 Cape Of Good Hope Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 2:06.28
no race 2020 [lower-alpha 4]
  1. The 1983 race was abandoned due to waterlogging
  2. The 1991 running took place at Kempton Park over a distance of 1 mile
  3. The 2008 edition was run at Nottingham over 1 mile, 2 furlongs and 50 yards
  4. The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom[5]

Earlier winners
  • 1937: Printer
  • 1938: Chatsworth
  • 1939: Blue Peter
  • 1940–46: no race
  • 1947: Combat
  • 1948: King's Counsel
  • 1949: Grani
  • 1950: Port o'Light
  • 1951: Zucchero
  • 1952: Castleton
  • 1953: Premonition
  • 1954: Ambler II
  • 1955: Sierra Nevada
  • 1956: Monterey
  • 1957: Tempest
  • 1958: Miner's Lamp
  • 1959: My Aladdin
  • 1960: Vienna
  • 1961: No Fiddling
  • 1962: Cyrus
  • 1963: The Bo'sun
  • 1964: Minor Portion
  • 1965: Cambridge
  • 1966: Pretendre
  • 1967: Starry Halo
  • 1968: Society
  • 1969: Caliban

See also

References
  1. "1936 Nonsuch Plate". Glasgow Herald. 24 April 1936. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. "1937 Blue Riband Trial Stakes". Glasgow Herald. 23 April 1937. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  3. "Epsom Downs Racecourse Media Release" (PDF). epsomdowns.co.uk. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  4. "Progress continues on stayers' project following further Pattern race upgrades". British Horseracing Authority. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  5. "Coronavirus: Horse racing in Great Britain suspended until end of April". BBC Sport. 17 March 2020.
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