The Joel Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September.
History The event was established in 1987, and it was originally called the Main Reef Stakes. It was named after Main Reef, a successful horse owned and bred by Jim Joel. It was initially restricted to three-year-olds and contested over 1 mile and 2 furlongs.
The race was opened to older horses and cut to a mile in 1989. For a period it was classed at Listed level. Jim Joel died in 1992, and it was renamed the Joel Stakes in 1994.
The Joel Stakes was promoted to Group 3 status in 2003. The Shadwell breeding organisation became its sponsor in 2008, and its full title included the name of Nayef, a Shadwell stallion for a period. It was upgraded to Group 2 in 2011.
The race is currently held on the second day of Newmarket's three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting, the day before the Cambridgeshire Handicap.
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins): Benbatl - (2019,2021) Mutasaabeq - (2022,2023)
Leading jockey (4 wins): Oisin Murphy – Beat The Bank (2017), Benbatl (2019,2021), Kameko (2020)
Leading trainer (4 wins): Sir Michael Stoute – Sabotage (1989), Rob Roy (2005), Confront (2009), Mustashry (2018) Saeed bin Suroor - Satchem (2006), Creachadoir (2007), Benbatl (2019,2021)
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time 1987 Lockton 3 Michael Hills Jeremy Hindley 2:06.88 1988 Hibernian Gold 3 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 2:06.10 1989 Sabotage 3 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute 1:43.13 1990 Raj Waki 3 Michael Kinane Guy Harwood 1:36.93 1991 Rudimentary 3 Pat Eddery Henry Cecil 1:36.55 1992 Inner City 3 Frankie Dettori Luca Cumani 1:37.50 1993 Gabr 3 Willie Carson Robert Armstrong 1:42.41 1994 Fraam 5 Walter Swinburn Alex Scott 1:36.05 1995 Bin Rosie 3 Kevin Darley David Loder 1:36.24 1996 Yeast 4 Ray Cochrane William Haggas 1:37.43 1997 Intikhab 3 Richard Hills David Morley 1:38.09 1998 Im Proposin 3 Richard Quinn John Dunlop 1:42.02 1999 Indian Lodge 3 Michael Roberts Amanda Perrett 1:39.00 2000 Hopeful Light 3 Jimmy Fortune John Gosden 1:40.39 2001 Beckett 3 Michael Kinane Aidan O'Brien 1:38.54 2002 Desert Deer 4 Kevin Darley Mark Johnston 1:34.54 2003 Splendid Era 3 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:37.40 2004 Polar Ben 5 Johnny Murtagh James Fanshawe 1:37.33 2005 Rob Roy 3 Michael Kinane Sir Michael Stoute 1:39.22 2006 Satchem 4 Kerrin McEvoy Saeed bin Suroor 1:39.95 2007 Creachadoir 3 Kerrin McEvoy Saeed bin Suroor 1:36.68 2008 Eagle Mountain 4 Kevin Shea Mike de Kock 1:34.07 2009 Confront 4 Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute 1:36.18 2010 Cityscape 4 Steve Drowne Roger Charlton 1:39.84 2011 Ransom Note 4 Michael Hills Charles Hills 1:34.68 2012 Penitent 6 Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara 1:36.32 2013 Soft Falling Rain 4 Paul Hanagan Mike de Kock 1:37.20 2014 Custom Cut 5 Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara 1:35.66 2015 Time Test 3 Ryan Moore Roger Charlton 1:35.84 2016 Cougar Mountain 5 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien 1:36.85 2017 Beat The Bank 3 Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding 1:38.67 2018 Mustashry 5 Jim Crowley Sir Michael Stoute 1:36.89 2019 Benbatl 5 Oisin Murphy Saeed bin Suroor 1:35.60 2020 Kameko 3 Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding 1:34.41 2021 Benbatl 7 Oisin Murphy Saeed bin Suroor 1:34.56 2022 Mutasaabeq 4 Jim Crowley Charles Hills 1:38.43 2023 Mutasaabeq 5 Jim Crowley Charles Hills 1:34.71 2024 Prague 4 Daniel Tudhope Dylan Cunha 1:40.53 2025 Zeus Olympios 3 Clifford Lee Karl Burke 1:37.57 2026 Talk Of New York 3 William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:34.30
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1987 – this race is included under its original title, Main Reef Stakes.
References
Paris-Turf:
Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galopp-sieger.de – Joel Stakes (ex Main Reef Stakes). ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Joel Stakes (2019). pedigreequery.com – Joel Stakes – Newmarket.