The Nell Gwyn Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres) on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in mid-April.
History The event was established in 1961, and it was initially called the Spring Fillies' Stakes. The first running was won by Verbena.
The race was renamed the Nell Gwyn Stakes in 1962. It was named after Nell Gwyn (1650–87), a long-time mistress of King Charles II.
The Nell Gwyn Stakes can serve as a trial for various fillies' Classics in Europe. The last winner to achieve victory in the 1000 Guineas was Cachet in 2022. The last to win the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches was Valentine Waltz in 1999.
The race is currently held on the first day of Newmarket's three-day Craven Meeting. It is run the day before the Craven Stakes.
Records
Leading jockey (7 wins): Frankie Dettori - Crystal Gazing (1991), Valentine Waltz (1999), Fantasia (2009), Sandiva (2014), Osaila (2015), Nathra (2016), Daban (2017)
Leading trainer (8 wins): Sir Henry Cecil – Caspian (1973), One in a Million (1979), Evita (1980), Fairy Footsteps (1981), Chalon (1982), Oh So Sharp (1985), Martha Stevens (1987), Hot Snap (2013)
Winners YearWinnerJockeyTrainer Time 1961 Verbena Doug Smith Geoffrey Brooke 1:28.66 1962 West Side Story Eph Smith Ted Leader 1:29.90 1963 Amicable Harry Carr Cecil Boyd-Rochfort 1:30.49 1964 Alborada Greville Starkey John Oxley 1:32.96 1965 Gently Scobie Breasley Gordon Richards 1:28.97 1966 Hiding Place Scobie Breasley Jack Clayton 1:31.86 1967 Cranberry Sauce George Moore Noel Murless 1:25.28 1968 Abbie West Sandy Barclay Noel Murless 1:29.24 1969 Anchor Greville Starkey John Oxley 1:31.08 1970 Obelisk Sandy Barclay Noel Murless 1:33.18 1971 Super Honey Lester Piggott Ryan Price 1:26.90 1972 Carezza Willie Carson Bernard van Cutsem 1:32.15 1973 Caspian Greville Starkey Henry Cecil 1:26.42 1974 Angels Two Eddie Hide Bill Elsey 1:26.79 1975 Rose Bowl Lester Piggott Fulke Johnson Houghton 1:37.49 1976 Flying Water Yves Saint-Martin Angel Penna, Sr. 1:25.71 1977 Freeze The Secret Gianfranco Dettori Luca Cumani 1:16.14 1978 Seraphima Pat Eddery Peter Walwyn 1:29.33 1979 One In A Million Joe Mercer Henry Cecil 1:25.85 1980 Evita Joe Mercer Henry Cecil 1:26.57 1981 Fairy Footsteps Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 1:27.21 1982 Chalon Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 1:25.01 1983 Favoridge Pat Eddery Geoff Wragg 1:30.15 1984 Pebbles Philip Robinson Clive Brittain 1:24.68 1985 Oh So Sharp Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 1:27.19 1986 Sonic Lady Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:31.69 1987 Martha Stevens Steve Cauthen Henry Cecil 1:27.76 1988 Ghariba Michael Roberts Alec Stewart 1:28.63 1989 Ensconse Ray Cochrane Luca Cumani 1:27.08 1990 Heart of Joy Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:24.58 1991 Crystal Gazing Frankie Dettori Luca Cumani 1:25.29 1992 A-to-Z Michael Hills Michael Bell 1:27.09 1993 Niche Lester Piggott Richard Hannon Sr. 1:27.07 1994 Mehthaaf Willie Carson John Dunlop 1:27.50 1995 Myself John Reid Peter Chapple-Hyam 1:24.30 1996 Thrilling Day David Harrison Neil Graham 1:25.31 1997 Reunion Richard Hills John Hills 1:25.28 1998 Cloud Castle John Reid Clive Brittain 1:28.85 1999 Valentine Waltz Frankie Dettori John Gosden 1:25.64 2000 Petrushka Kieren Fallon Sir Michael Stoute 1:25.60 2001 Lil's Jessy Pat Eddery Jeremy Noseda 1:26.63 2002 Misterah Richard Hills Marcus Tregoning 1:24.72 2003 Khulood Richard Hills John Dunlop 1:26.76 2004 Silca's Gift Ted Durcan Mick Channon 1:26.81 2005 Karen's Caper Jimmy Fortune John Gosden 1:24.72 2006 Speciosa Micky Fenton Pam Sly 1:23.45 2007 Scarlet Runner Kerrin McEvoy John Dunlop 1:24.59 2008 Infallible Jimmy Fortune John Gosden 1:27.15 2009 Fantasia Frankie Dettori Luca Cumani 1:26.93 2010 Music Show Kieren Fallon Mick Channon 1:25.43 2011 Barefoot Lady Paul Hanagan Richard Fahey 1:24.44 2012 Esentepe Pat Dobbs Richard Hannon Sr. 1:27.60 2013 Hot Snap Tom Queally Sir Henry Cecil 1:24.39 2014 Sandiva Frankie Dettori Richard Fahey 1:26.93 2015 Osaila Frankie Dettori Richard Hannon Jr. 1:23.24 2016 Nathra Frankie Dettori John Gosden 1:28.35 2017 Daban Frankie Dettori John Gosden 1:24.42 2018 Soliloquy William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:26.67 2019 Qabala David Egan Roger Varian 1:25.77 no race 2020 2021 Sacred Ryan Moore William Haggas 1:24.89 2022 Cachet William Buick George Boughey 1:24.27 2023 Mammas Girl Sean Levey Richard Hannon Jr. 1:28.70 2024 Pretty Crystal Oisin Orr Richard Fahey 1:22.90 2025 Zanzoun Kieran Shoemark John & Thady Gosden 1:29.22 2026 Azleet Marco Ghiani Stuart Williams 1:25.08
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References
Paris-Turf: , , , , , Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galopp-sieger.de – Nell Gwyn Stakes. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Nell Gwyn Stakes (2019). pedigreequery.com – Nell Gwyn Stakes – Newmarket.