The Earl of Sefton Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong (1,811 metres) on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in mid-April.
History The event was established in 1971, and it was initially called the Rubbing House Stakes. The first running was won by Pembroke Castle.
The race was renamed the Earl of Sefton Stakes in 1973 in memory of Hugh Molyneux (1898–1972), the seventh Earl of Sefton.
The Earl of Sefton Stakes is currently held on the first day of Newmarket's three-day Craven Meeting, the day before the Craven Stakes.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins): Terimon – 1990, 1991 Mull of Killough - 2013, 2014 Ottoman Fleet - 2023, 2024
Leading jockey (5 wins): William Buick - Questioning (2012), French Navy (2015), Master Of The Seas (2022), Ottoman Fleet (2023, 2024)
Leading trainer (7 wins): Sir Henry Cecil – Gunner B (1978), Ivano (1983), Legend of France (1984), Reprimand (1989), Ali-Royal (1997), Shiva (1999), Phoenix Tower (2008)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time 1971 Pembroke Castle 4 Geoff Lewis Noel Murless 1:52.97 1972 Lord David 4 Lester Piggott Staff Ingham 1:58.30 1973 Scottish Rifle 4 Ron Hutchinson John Dunlop 1:51.80 1974 Owen Dudley 4 Geoff Lewis Noel Murless 1:52.98 1975 Jimsun 6 Joe Mercer Herbert Jones 2:03.29 1976 Chil the Kite 4 Geoff Lewis Bruce Hobbs 1:52.12 1977 Heaven Knows 4 Brian Taylor Ron Smyth 1:52.51 1978 Gunner B 5 Joe Mercer Henry Cecil 1:55.48 1979 Hawaiian Sound 4 Steve Cauthen Barry Hills 1:53.54 1980 Ela-Mana-Mou 4 Willie Carson Dick Hern 1:50.88 1981 Hard Fought 4 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:54.52 1982 Kalaglow 4 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 1:51.06 1983 Ivano 4 Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 1:57.69 1984 Legend of France 4 Joe Mercer Henry Cecil 1:51.49 1985 King of Clubs 4 Pat Eddery Ian Balding 1:52.73 1986 Supreme Leader 4 Philip Robinson Clive Brittain 1:59.02 1987 K-Battery 6 Pat Eddery Bill Elsey 1:54.53 1988 Media Starguest 4 Ray Cochrane Luca Cumani 1:51.90 1989 Reprimand 4 Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 1:56.51 1990 Terimon 4 Ray Cochrane Clive Brittain 1:49.15 1991 Terimon 5 Michael Roberts Clive Brittain 1:49.23 1992 Sure Sharp 5 Steve Cauthen Barry Hills 1:52.05 1993 Ezzoud 4 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:51.42 1994 Del Deya 4 Frankie Dettori John Gosden 1:56.82 1995 Desert Shot 5 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:48.73 1996 Luso 4 Michael Kinane Clive Brittain 1:47.96 1997 Ali-Royal 4 Kieren Fallon Henry Cecil 1:50.46 1998 Apprehension 4 Darryll Holland David Loder 1:58.49 1999 Shiva 4 Kieren Fallon Henry Cecil 1:46.60 2000 Indian Lodge 4 Michael Kinane Amanda Perrett 1:54.90 2001 Right Wing 7 Pat Eddery John Dunlop 1:54.44 2002 Indian Creek 4 Richard Quinn David Elsworth 1:49.66 2003 Olden Times 5 Kieren Fallon John Dunlop 1:52.58 2004 Gateman 7 Keith Dalgleish Mark Johnston 1:52.77 2005 Norse Dancer 5 John Egan David Elsworth 1:49.10 2006 Notnowcato 4 Michael Kinane Sir Michael Stoute 1:49.21 2007 Manduro 5 Stéphane Pasquier André Fabre 1:47.26 2008 Phoenix Tower 4 Tom Queally Henry Cecil 1:54.11 2009 Tazeez 5 Richard Hills John Gosden 1:47.83 2010 Sri Putra 4 Neil Callan Michael Jarvis 1:49.33 2011 Ransom Note 4 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:49.42 2012 Questioning 4 William Buick John Gosden 1:50.62 2013 Mull of Killough 7 George Baker Jane Chapple-Hyam 1:48.58 2014 Mull of Killough 8 Adam Kirby Jane Chapple-Hyam 1:48.44 2015 French Navy 7 William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:51.81 2016 Mahsoob 5 Paul Hanagan John Gosden 1:53.67 2017 Steel Of Madrid 4 Pat Dobbs Richard Hannon Jr. 1:51.27 2018 Forest Ranger 4 Tony Hamilton Richard Fahey 1:52.38 2019 Zabeel Prince 6 Andrea Atzeni Roger Varian 1:52.43 no race 2020 2021 My Oberon 4 James Doyle William Haggas 1:52.05 2022 Master of The Seas 4 William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:49.60 2023 Ottoman Fleet 4 William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:55.17 2024 Ottoman Fleet 5 William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:47.51 2025 Persica 4 Ryan Moore Richard Hannon Jr. 1:54.07 2026 Damysus 4 James Doyle John & Thady Gosden 1:49.92
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References
Paris-Turf: , , , , , , Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galopp-sieger.de – Earl of Sefton Stakes (ex Rubbing House Stakes). ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Earl of Sefton Stakes (2019). pedigreequery.com – Earl of Sefton Stakes – Newmarket.