Group 2 race | |
Location | Rowley Mile Newmarket, England |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1981 |
Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
Sponsor | Shadwell Racing |
Website | Newmarket |
Race information | |
Distance | 7f (1,408 metres) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Straight |
Qualification | Two-year-old fillies |
Weight | 9 st 0 lb Penalties 3 lb for G1 / G2 Group 2 winners |
Purse | £90,000 (2021) 1st: £51,039 |
2024 | ||
Bubbling | Serving With Style | Duty First |
Previous years | ||
---|---|---|
2023 | ||
Carla's Way | Shuwari | Ylang Ylang |
2022 | ||
Commissioning | Electric Eyes | Rage Of Bamby |
2021 | ||
Hello You | Cachet | Oscula |
1990-1988 | ||
---|---|---|
1990 | ||
Crystal Gazing | Lee Artiste | Crystal Path |
1989 | ||
Negligent | Fearless Revival | Va Toujours |
1988 | ||
Musical Bliss | Jaljuli | Orange Grove |
The Rockfel Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
The event is named after Rockfel, a successful filly whose victories included two Classics in 1938. It was established in 1981, and its first winner was Top Hope.
The Rockfel Stakes attained Listed status in 1985, and it was promoted to Group 3 level in 1986. It was upgraded to Group 2 in 1998.
The race was formerly staged during Newmarket's Champions' Day meeting in mid-October. It became part of a new fixture called Future Champions Day in 2011 and was moved to a September date from 2014, switching places in the calendar with the Fillies' Mile. [1] The race is currently part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge and the winner earns an automatic place in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf race.
The leading horses from the Rockfel Stakes sometimes go on to compete in the following season's 1000 Guineas. Four fillies have won both events, the most recent being Finsceal Beo (2006–07).
Leading jockey (4 wins):
Leading trainer (4 wins):
Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | Top Hope | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | |
1982 | Saving Mercy | Brian Taylor | Jeremy Hindley | |
1983 | Mahogany | Joe Mercer | Charlie Nelson | |
1984 | Kashi Lagoon | Bruce Raymond | Ben Hanbury | |
1985 | Tralthee | Lester Piggott | Luca Cumani | |
1986 | At Risk | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | |
1987 | no race [lower-alpha 1] | |||
1988 | Musical Bliss | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 1:28.64 |
1989 | Negligent | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 1:24.42 |
1990 | Crystal Gazing | Frankie Dettori | Luca Cumani | 1:29.80 |
1991 | Musicale | Pat Eddery | Henry Cecil | 1:23.92 |
1992 | Yawl | Darryll Holland | Barry Hills | 1:23.81 |
1993 | Relatively Special | Ray Cochrane | Luca Cumani | 1:27.82 |
1994 | Germane | Micky Fenton | Michael Bell | 1:25.76 |
1995 | Bint Salsabil | Willie Carson | John Dunlop | 1:26.05 |
1996 | Moonlight Paradise | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 1:26.26 |
1997 | Name of Love | Kieren Fallon | David Loder | 1:26.42 |
1998 | Hula Angel | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 1:25.84 |
1999 [lower-alpha 2] | Lahan | Richard Hills | John Gosden | 1:26.79 |
2000 | Sayedah | Richard Hills | Marcus Tregoning | 1:27.96 |
2001 | Distant Valley | Dane O'Neill | Richard Hannon Sr. | 1:28.53 |
2002 | Luvah Girl | Kevin Darley | Roger Charlton | 1:24.98 |
2003 | Cairns | Ted Durcan | Mick Channon | 1:25.88 |
2004 | Maids Causeway | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 1:28.93 |
2005 | Speciosa | Micky Fenton | Pam Sly | 1:27.01 |
2006 | Finsceal Beo | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger | 1:27.12 |
2007 | Kitty Matcham | Johnny Murtagh | Aidan O'Brien | 1:27.01 |
2008 | Lahaleeb | Darryll Holland | Mick Channon | 1:23.95 |
2009 | Music Show | Kieren Fallon | Mick Channon | 1:23.83 |
2010 | Cape Dollar | Ryan Moore | Sir Michael Stoute | 1:26.91 |
2011 | Wading | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 1:23.75 |
2012 | Just The Judge | Michael Hills | Charles Hills | 1:25.15 |
2013 | Al Thakhira | Martin Harley | Marco Botti | 1:25.54 |
2014 | Lucida | Kevin Manning | Jim Bolger | 1:22.82 |
2015 | Promising Run | James Doyle | Saeed bin Suroor | 1:23.55 |
2016 | Spain Burg | Frankie Dettori | Xavier Thomas-Demeaulte | 1:24.92 |
2017 | Juliet Capulet | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | 1:27.23 |
2018 | Just Wonderful | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 1:25.30 |
2019 | Daahyeh | William Buick | Roger Varian | 1:24.14 |
2020 | Isabella Giles | Adam Kirby | Clive Cox | 1:22.55 |
2021 | Hello You | Rossa Ryan | David Loughnanne | 1:23.12 |
2022 | Commissioning | Robert Havlin | John and Thady Gosden | 1:24.40 |
2023 | Carla's Way | James Doyle | Simon & Ed Crisford | 1:23.01 |
2024 | Bubbling | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | 1:27.20 |
Michael Hills is a retired British flat racing jockey, who won the 1996 Epsom Derby on Shaamit. He was British flat racing Champion Apprentice of 1983. He is twin brother to Richard Hills and their father is racehorse trainer Barry Hills.
The Falmouth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the July Course at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
The Nunthorpe Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years or older. It is run at York over a distance of 5 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.
The Fillies' Mile is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Cheveley Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs and is scheduled to take place each year in late September.
The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
The Dewhurst Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 7 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong and 212 yards, and it is scheduled to take place as part of British Champions Day each year in October.
The Lowther Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old fillies. It is run at York over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.
The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old colts and geldings. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September.
The Irish Champion Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 1 mile and 2 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.
The Sun Chariot Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.
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.
The British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres) as part of British Champions Day at Ascot in October.
Rockfel was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare, best known for winning two Classics in 1938. In a career which lasted from July 1937 until May 1939 she ran thirteen times and won eight races. Rockfel began her career at the lowest level, being beaten in a selling race, but improved to become recognised as one of the best British racemares of the 20th century. In 1938 she was the dominant three-year-old in England, winning the 1000 Guineas over one mile at Newmarket and the Oaks over one and a half miles at Epsom. In the autumn she defeated colts in the Champion Stakes and the Aintree Derby and was retired after winning her only race as a four-year-old. She produced one foal before dying in November 1941.
Ma Biche was an American-bred, French-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse in 1983. The filly was the best racehorse of her age and sex in Europe in 1982 when she won two Group One races: the Prix Robert Papin in France and the Cheveley Park Stakes in England. In the following year she defeated a strong field to win the 1000 Guineas, but then suffered from a series of training problems before returning to form in autumn to win the Prix de la Forêt.
Chriselliam was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2013 she won two of her five races in Europe, establishing herself as one of the leading British-trained fillies of her generation by winning the Fillies' Mile. She was then sent to the United States in November where she recorded a decisive win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She was awarded the title of Cartier Champion Two-year-old Filly and was officially rated the best two-year-old filly in Europe. She died in February 2014 after contracting a bacterial infection.
Maids Causeway is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 2004 she won three of her seven races including the Sweet Solera Stakes and Rockfel Stakes as well as being placed in both the May Hill Stakes and the Fillies' Mile. As a three-year-old she finished second in the classic 1000 Guineas and then recorded her biggest win in the Coronation Stakes. At the end of the year she was bought by Sheikh Mohammed and retired from racing to become a broodmare. Her name has always been rendered without an apostrophe, consistently with the street of that name alongside Midsummer Common in Cambridge.
The 1999 1000 Guineas Stakes was a horse race held at Newmarket Racecourse on Sunday 2 May 1999. It was the 186th running of the 1000 Guineas. As the traditional Rowley Mile course was being redeveloped the race was run on Newmarket's July Course.
Hula Angel was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas in 1999. As a two-year-old she showed steady improvement in six races, winning a maiden on her third appearance and finishing third in the Oh So Sharp Stakes before winning the Group Two Rockfel Stakes. In the following spring she finished sixth in the 1000 Guineas before recording her biggest win in the Irish equivalent at the Curragh. She was well beaten in two subsequent races and was retired from racing at the end of the year. Hula Angel finished ahead of the 1,000 Guineas winner Wince in three of their four racecourse meetings. She has had some success a dam of winners.