The British Champions Sprint Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.

History The event was established in 1946, and it was originally called the Diadem Stakes. It was named after Diadem (foaled 1914), a winner of several of Ascot's leading races. For a period it was staged in October, and it later moved to September.

The current system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Diadem Stakes initially held Group 3 status. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 1996. It had a prize fund of £100,000 in 2010.

The race was given its present name and switched to October in 2011. It became part of the newly created British Champions Day, and its purse was increased to £250,000. It now serves as the sprint-category final of the British Champions Series. The race was upgraded to Group 1 status from its 2015 running.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins): Set Fair – 1952, 1954 Jack & Jill – 1958, 1959

Leading jockey (7 wins): Lester Piggott – Abergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat), Absalom (1979), Moorestyle (1981), Salieri (1983)

Leading trainer (4 wins): Walter Nightingall – Set Fair (1952, 1954), Jack & Jill (1958, 1959) Vincent O'Brien – Abergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat)

Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time 1946 The Bug 3 Charlie Smirke Marcus Marsh 1:17.80 1947 Djelal 3 Charlie Elliott Charles Semblat 1:20.40 1948 Combined Operations 6 Tommy Burn Joseph Lawson 1:18.80 1949 Solonaway 3 Gordon Richards Alfred Smyth 1:17.60 1950 Abadan 3 Gordon Richards Noel Murless 1:22.80 1951 Ki Ming 3 Scobie Breasley Michael Beary 1:20.20 1952 Set Fair 3 Eph Smith Walter Nightingall 1:19.40 1953 Rose Coral 3 Doug Smith Geoffrey Brooke 1:17.60 1954 Set Fair 5 Scobie Breasley Walter Nightingall 1:21.20 1955 Pappa Fourway 3 Harry Carr Bill Dutton 1:21.98 1956 King Bruce 5 Scobie Breasley Peter Hastings-Bass 1:15.00 1957 Arcandy 4 Tommy Gosling George Beeby 1:17.70 1958 Jack & Jill 3 Stan Clayton Walter Nightingall 1:22.58 1959 Jack & Jill 4 Harry Carr Walter Nightingall 1:17.96 1960 Zanzibar 5 Bill Rickaby John Oxley 1:19.40 1961 Satan 3 Joe Mercer Tommy Shaw 1:18.21 1962 La Belle 3 Bill Williamson Harry Wragg 1:17.51 1963 Sammy Davis 3 Doug Smith Geoffrey Brooke 1:12.60 1964 Ampney Princess 4 Frankie Durr Harry Hannon 1:18.96 1965 Majority Blue 4 Bill Williamson John Oxx 1:18.32 1966 Lucasland 4 Eric Eldin John Waugh 1:20.91 1967 Great Bear 3 Ron Hutchinson John Dunlop 1:20.26 1968 Secret Ray 4 Sandy Barclay Doug Smith 1:25.72 1969 Song 3 Joe Mercer Derrick Candy 1:16.00 1970 Realm 3 Brian Taylor John Winter 1:15.21 1971 Abergwaun 3 Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 1:14.52 1972 Home Guard 3 Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 1:14.04 1973 Boldboy 3 Joe Mercer Dick Hern 1:16.62 1974 Saritamer 3 Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien 1:20.11 1975(dh) Roman WarriorSwingtime 43 Johnny SeagraveLester Piggott Nigel AngusVincent O'Brien 1:15.55 1976 Honeyblest 4 Geoff Baxter Doug Smith 1:16.01 1977 Gentilhombre 4 Paul Cook Neil Adam 1:14.14 1978 Creetown 6 Robert Street Ron Sheather 1:16.33 1979 Absalom 4 Lester Piggott Ryan Jarvis 1:15.63 1980 Sovereign Rose 3 Willie Carson Dick Hern 1:13.80 1981 Moorestyle 4 Lester Piggott Robert Armstrong 1:14.69 1982 Indian King 4 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 1:17.00 1983 Salieri 3 Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 1:14.85 1984 Never So Bold 4 Steve Cauthen Robert Armstrong 1:13.91 1985 Al Sylah 3 Tony Murray Harry Thomson Jones 1:13.43 1986 Hallgate 3 Greville Starkey Sally Hall 1:15.32 1987 Dowsing 3 Pat Eddery Jeremy Tree 1:14.67 1988 Cadeaux Genereux 3 Pat Eddery Olivier Douieb 1:15.91 1989 Chummy's Favourite 4 Frankie Dettori Neville Callaghan 1:14.25 1990 Ron's Victory 3 Freddy Head Alain Falourd 1:12.66 1991 Shalford 3 Tony Cruz Richard Hannon Sr. 1:18.95 1992 Wolfhound 3 Steve Cauthen John Gosden 1:17.20 1993 Catrail 3 Michael Roberts John Gosden 1:15.63 1994 Lake Coniston 3 Pat Eddery Geoff Lewis 1:14.35 1995 Cool Jazz 4 Corey Nakatani Clive Brittain 1:18.56 1996 Diffident 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:15.36 1997 Elnadim 3 Richard Hills John Dunlop 1:12.56 1998 Bianconi 3 Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien 1:13.98 1999 Bold Edge 4 Dane O'Neill Richard Hannon Sr. 1:20.12 2000 Sampower Star 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 1:17.29 2001 Nice One Clare 5 Johnny Murtagh Pip Payne 1:17.60 2002 Crystal Castle 4 Kieren Fallon John Hammond 1:13.40 2003 Acclamation 4 Frankie Dettori Gerald Cottrell 1:12.60 2004 Pivotal Point 4 Seb Sanders Peter Makin 1:13.55 2005 Baron's Pit 5 Johnny Murtagh Amanda Perrett 1:10.74 2006 Red Clubs 3 Michael Hills Barry Hills 1:13.71 2007 Haatef 3 Richard Hills Kevin Prendergast 1:13.96 2008 King's Apostle 4 Liam Jones William Haggas 1:14.20 2009 Sayif 3 Richard Hills Peter Chapple-Hyam 1:12.57 2010 Lady of the Desert 3 Richard Hughes Brian Meehan 1:14.13 2011 Deacon Blues 4 Johnny Murtagh James Fanshawe 1:12.55 2012 Maarek 5 Jamie Spencer David Peter Nagle 1:15.99 2013 Slade Power 4 Wayne Lordan Edward Lynam 1:15.79 2014 Gordon Lord Byron 6 Wayne Lordan Tom Hogan 1:17.30 2015 Muhaarar 3 Paul Hanagan Charles Hills 1:13.34 2016 The Tin Man 4 Tom Queally James Fanshawe 1:12.15 2017 Librisa Breeze 5 Robert Winston Dean Ivory 1:16.78 2018 Sands of Mali 3 Paul Hanagan Richard Fahey 1:14.21 2019 Donjuan Triumphant 6 Silvestre De Sousa Andrew Balding 1:16.43 2020 Glen Shiel 6 Hollie Doyle Archie Watson 1:16.74 2021 Creative Force 3 William Buick Charlie Appleby 1:13.79 2022 Kinross 5 Frankie Dettori Ralph Beckett 1:15.57 2023 Art Power 6 David Allan Tim Easterby 1:16.92 2024 Kind Of Blue 3 James Doyle James Fanshawe 1:17.22 2025 Powerful Glory 3 Jamie Spencer Richard Fahey 1:11.72

See also Horseracing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races Recurring sporting events established in 1946 – this race is included under its original title, Diadem Stakes.

References

Paris-Turf: , , , , , , , ,

Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

galopp-sieger.de – Diadem Stakes. horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – British Champions Sprint Stakes (2018). pedigreequery.com – Diadem Stakes – Ascot.