The National Stakes is a Listed flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years old. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 5 furlongs and 10 yards (), and it is scheduled to take place each year at the end of May.
The race was first run in 1889 and was known as the National Breeders' Produce Stakes until 1959. In 1932 it was "the most valuable two-year-old race on the English calendar".
Previous winners include Pretty Polly (1903), Cicero (1904), Neil Gow (1909), The Tetrarch (1913), Tetratema (1919), Tiffin (1928), Myrobella (1932), Tudor Minstrel (1946) and Belle of All (1950).
Winners Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time 1889 Rathbeal 1890 Tittle Tattle 1891 Lady Caroline 1892 Tibble Shiels 1893 Delphos 1894 Saintly 1895 Elmsworth 1896 Chelandry William Walters Jr. 1897 1898 ch colt by Enthusiast-Noble Duchess Weldon William Elsey 1899 Democrat Tod Sloan John Huggins 1900(dh) IanStar Shoot Tod SloanLester Reiff Robert Sherwood Jr.John Huggins 1:05.00 1901 Game Chick Lester Reiff John Huggins 1:02.40 1902 Rabelais Danny Maher Richard Marsh 1:02.80 1903 Pretty Polly Peter Gilpin 1904 Cicero Danny Maher Percy Peck 1905 Sarcelle Bernard Dillon Fallon 1906 Traquair Danny Maher Percy Peck 1907 White Eagle Barry Lynham Jack Robinson 1908 Bayardo Danny Maher Alec Taylor Jr. 1:04.80 1909 Neil Gow Danny Maher Percy Peck 1:06.00 1910 Cellini William Saxby Peter Gilpin 1911 Mountain Mint Walter Griggs Peter Gilpin 1912 Prue Albert Whalley Willie Pratt 1913 The Tetrarch Steve Donoghue Atty Persse 1:05.60 1914 Redfern Jim Clark Alec Taylor Jr. 1:04.20 1915-18No race 1919 Tetratema Bernard Carslake Atty Persse 1:05.80 1920 Polly Flinders Skeets Martin Peter Gilpin 1:04.80 1921 Polyhistor Bernard Carslake Etienne de Mestre 1:03.40 1922 Town Guard George Archibald Sr. Peter Gilpin 1:04.00 1923 Mumtaz Mahal George Hulme Richard Dawson 1:01.60 1924 Garden of Allah George Archibald Sr. Peter Gilpin 1:03.80 1925 Kate Coventry Charlie Elliott Peter Gilpin 1:03.00 1926 Priscilla Charlie Elliott Jack Jarvis 1:02.00 1927 Flamingo Charlie Elliott Jack Jarvis 1:05.00 1928 Tiffin Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:02.60 1929 Queen of the Nore Harry Beasley Jr. Atty Persse 1:02.80 1930 Thyestes Harry Beasley Jr. Atty Persse 1:04.80 1931 Orwell Bobby Jones Joseph Lawson 1:04.80 1932 Myrobella Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:02.20 1933 Colombo Gordon Richards Tommy Hogg 1:02.40 1934 Bahram Richard Perryman Frank Butters 1:00.20 1935 Wyndham Charlie Smirke Captain Donald Snow 1:04.40 1936 Full Sail Bobby Jones Jack Jarvis 1:03.60 1937 Portmarnock Rufus Beasley Cecil Boyd-Rochfort 1:02.60 1938 Rogerstone Castle Charlie Elliott Steve Donoghue 1:04.60 1939 Stardust Charlie Smirke Frank Butters 1:03.80 1940-45No race 1946 Tudor Minstrel Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:02.60 1947 The Cobbler Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:04.60 1948 Abernant Gordon Richards Noel Murless 1:03.20 1949 Palestine Charlie Smirke Frank Butters 1:04.00 1950 Belle of All George Younger Norman Bertie 1:02.40 1951 Constantia Peter Maher Ryan Jarvis 1:03.40 1952 Bebe Grande Willie Snaith Sam Armstrong 1:03.80 1953 Tudor Honey Manny Mercer Jack Jarvis 1:02.80 1954 Courageous Frank Barlow Humphrey Cottrill 1:02.40 1955 Rustam Doug Smith Geoffrey Brooke 1:01.80 1956 Military Law Joe Mercer Jack Waugh 1:01.60 1957 Promulgation Eph Smith Ted Leader 1:06.00 1958 Captain Kidd Manny Mercer Jack Jarvis 1:02.60 1959 Sing Sing Doug Smith Jack Watts 1:00.40 1960 Kerrabee Scobie Breasley Staff Ingham 1:02.20 1961 Display Ron Hutchinson Paddy Prendergast 1:01.60 1962 Whistling Wind Garnet Bougoure Paddy Prendergast 1:02.00 1963 Pourparler Garnet Bougoure Paddy Prendergast 1:02.20 1964 Double Jump Jimmy Lindley Jeremy Tree 1:02.20 1965 Zahedan Lester Piggott Noel Murless 1:01.20 1966 Falcon Lester Piggott Fulke Johnson Houghton 1:02.20 1967 Sovereign Ron Hutchinson Harry Wragg 1:02.00 1968 Tower Walk Taffy Thomas Geoffrey Barling 1:01.60 1969 Quarryknowe Tony Murray Ryan Price 1:01.60 1970 Trasi Girl Willie Carson Barry Hills 1:02.20 1971 Stilvi Geoff Lewis Bruce Hobbs 1:02.30 1972 Hunters Path Bill Williamson Michael Jarvis 1:03.80 1973 Daring Boy Eddie Hide Arthur Budgett 1:00.73 1974 Streak Willie Carson John Sutcliffe 1:03.99 1976 Piney Ridge Lester Piggott Mick Kauntze 1:02.60 1977 Noiritza Pat Eddery Mick O'Toole 1:02.93 1978 Schweppeshire Lad Greville Starkey Michael Stoute 1:02.14 1979 Rollahead Joe Mercer Jeremy Hindley 1:02.53 1980 Penmarric Greville Starkey Gavin Hunter 1:02.20 1981Abandoned due to waterlogging 1982 Krayyan Greville Starkey Gavin Hunter 1:00.92 1983 Precocious Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 1:03.34 1984 Primo Dominie John Reid Brian Swift 1:01.47 1985 Moonlight Lady Pat Eddery Paul Kelleway 1:04.37 1986 Risk Me Pat Eddery Paul Kelleway 1:02.75 1987 Tricky Note Michael Hills William Haggas 1:01.18 1988 Superpower Tony Ives Bill O'Gorman 1:03.22 1989 Princess Taufan Ray Cochrane Dr Jon Scargill 1:00.47 1990 Balwa Willie Carson Alex Scott 1:02.15 1991 Marling Gary Carter Geoff Wragg 1:01.59 1992 Lyric Fantasy Michael Roberts Richard Hannon Sr. 0:59.62 1993 Redoubtable Richard Quinn Richard Hannon Sr. 1:00.95 1994 Signs Pat Eddery Richard Hannon Sr. 1:03.14 1995 Amaretto Bay Mick Kinane Brian Meehan 1:03.54 1996 Deadly Dudley Mick Kinane Richard Hannon Sr. 1:01.83 1997 Pool Music Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:00.72 1998 Bint Allayl Frankie Dettori Mick Channon 1:02.36 1999 Rowaasi Frankie Dettori Mick Channon 0:59.95 2000 Taras Emperor Jimmy Fortune John Quinn 1:05.89 2001 Shiny Philip Robinson Clive Brittain 1:02.72 2002 Presto Vento Dane O'Neill Richard Hannon Sr. 1:02.00 2003 Russian Valour Kevin Darley Mark Johnston 1:00.65 2004 Polly Perkins Kevin Darley Nick Littmoden 1:01.65 2005 Salut d'Amour Kieren Fallon Jeremy Noseda 1:02.33 2006 Excellent Art Frankie Dettori Neville Callaghan 1:06.49 2007 Sweepstake Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:02.72 2008 Icesolator Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:04.89 2009 Monsieur Chevalier Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:00.83 2010 Dinkum Diamond Dane O'Neill Henry Candy 1:01.88 2011 Pyman's Theory Richard Kingscote Tom Dascombe 1:02.55 2012 Sir Prancealot Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 1:01.85 2013 Rizeena Ryan Moore Clive Brittain 1:03.57 2014 Tiggy Wiggy Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Jr. 1:03.92 2015 King Of Rooks Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Jr. 1:01.30 2016 Global Applause Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop 1:01.17 2017 Havana Grey P. J. McDonald Karl Burke 0:59.93 2018 Vintage Brut David Allan Tim Easterby 1:02.50 2019 Flippa The Strippa Silvestre de Sousa Charles Hills 1:00.85 2020 Ubettabelieveit Oisin Murphy Nigel Tinkler 1:01.65 2021 Ebro River James Doyle Hugo Palmer 1:05.24 2022 Maria Branwell Daniel Tudhope David O'Meara 1:02.79 2023 Elite Status Clifford Lee Karl Burke 1:00.48 2024 Enchanting Empress David Egan Dominic Ffrench Davis 1:05.60 2025 Anthelia Lewis Edmunds Rod Millman 1:03.18 2026 Where Love Lives Kevin Stott Kevin Ryan 1:02.33
1948 Race Abernant v Star King
Abernant was the a dominant sprinter who went on to achieve champion status in 1949 and 1950. As a two-year-old in 1948 he was top of the Free Handicap. Abernant was only once on the stretch and that was in a fantastic race for the National Breeders Produce Stakes at Sandown on 17 July. His main opponent was Star King. The 1948 edition of The Bloodstock Breeders Review provided the following wonderful account written by James Park of the race.
"Star King had won three races in runaway fashion. He had not been engaged at Ascot... Star King's jockey Sam Wragg after a gallop said "Abernant may be a good one, but he will have to hop along". I should say there was something more than quiet confidence behind Star King. Each had earned the maximum penalty and were meeting at level weights.
When the tapes went up off went Star King. Abernant followed at an interval of perhaps three lengths. The others dribbled out of the gate, so that by the time half a furlong had been covered there were many lengths between Star King and the hindmost member of the party. The uphill course at Sandown is not one on which waiting tactics can be employed successfully. So I was rather surprised when Gordon Richards (Abernant's jockey) pretty well sat on Star King's tail without making any attempt to join issue. The leader was slipping along while still on the bit. Gordon, on Abernant, had what is known as a double handful. It was after covering three furlongs that Gordon set Abernant alight. He soon went past Star King and it looked all over bar the shouting. But drama was to follow. Star King had never even been shown the whip in previous races. It had not been necessary. It electrified him to such an extent he suddenly became jet propelled. By that time Abernant had gained probably a length lead. Quick to sense the situation, out came Gordon's whip. The response was not quite the same. Instead of gaining further ground, Abernant began to edge over to the right. Star King kept a perfectly true line. Up he crept, and 100 yards from the winning post he was still gaining. It was anybody's race as they went past the post, with Star King definitely going the stronger. The judge promptly ruled that Abernant had retained sufficient of his lead to win by the shortest of short heads. (There was no photo finish at Sandown at the time) James Park went on to write I am old enough to know better than to argue with the judge. He is the one person in a position to give an opinion. Sam Wragg thought he had won and he was not the only one.
Mr Wilfred Harvey, the owner of Star King, took it well. "I hope they can meet again over 6 furlongs" he said. They did not do so. The controversy raged throughout the season, and no doubt continued during the winter. There was the usual inquest. Noel Murless ... told me that in home gallops Abernant had been ridden from behind, and had always produced a brilliant burst of speed in the last 100 yards or so. That was why it was decided to adopt similar tactics at Sandown.The Bloodstock Breeders Review 1948
In the Free Handicap at the end of the year Abernant was allocated 9st 7lb and Star King was second on the list at 9st 5lb. Timeform, in its first Annual that rated all horses, gave Abernant 133 and Star King 131 rating.Timeform Annual 1948
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References
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