Challenge Stakes (Great Britain)


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The Challenge 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 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.

History
The event was established in 1878, and the inaugural edition was titled the First Great Challenge Stakes. It was originally contested over six furlongs and open to horses aged two or older.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Challenge Stakes held Group 3 status. It was extended to seven furlongs in 1977, and closed to two-year-olds in 1985. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 1987.

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.

Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):


 * Energy – 1882, 1884
 * Mephisto – 1886, 1890
 * Kilcock – 1896, 1897
 * Sonatura – 1900, 1901
 * Chacornac – 1902, 1903
 * Succour – 1907, 1908
 * Hornet's Beauty – 1912, 1914
 * Phalaris – 1917, 1918
 * Boldboy – 1973, 1977
 * Moorestyle – 1980, 1981
 * Limato - 2017, 2018

Leading jockey (7 wins):
 * Lester Piggott – Princely Gift (1954), Forlorn River (1967), Mountain Call (1968), Abergwaun (1972), Moorestyle (1980, 1981), Salieri (1983)

Leading trainer (6 wins):
 * Barry Hills – Asteroid Field (1987), Distant Relative (1989), Last Resort (2000), Munir (2001), Miss Lucifer (2007), Red Jazz (2010)

Earlier winners

 * 1878: Lollypop
 * 1879: Rayon d'Or
 * 1880: Thebais
 * 1881: Nellie
 * 1882: Energy
 * 1883: Busybody
 * 1884: Energy
 * 1885: Modwena
 * 1886: Mephisto
 * 1887: Kilwarlin
 * 1888: Sandal
 * 1889: Heaume
 * 1890: Mephisto
 * 1891: Sir Frederick Roberts
 * 1892: St Angelo
 * 1893: Dame President
 * 1894: Whittier
 * 1895: Amandier / Chasseur
 * 1896: Kilcock
 * 1897: Kilcock
 * 1898: Heir Male
 * 1899: Fosco
 * 1900: Sonatura
 * 1901: Sonatura
 * 1902: Chacornac
 * 1903: Chacornac
 * 1904: Delaunay
 * 1905: Thrush
 * 1906: Rocketter
 * 1907: Succour
 * 1908: Succour
 * 1909: Sir Martin
 * 1910: Jack Snipe
 * 1911: Iron Mask
 * 1912: Hornet's Beauty
 * 1913: Borrow
 * 1914: Hornet's Beauty
 * 1915: Golden Sun
 * 1916: King's Joker
 * 1917: Phalaris
 * 1918: Phalaris
 * 1919: Diadem
 * 1920: Poltava
 * 1921: Sunblaze
 * 1922: Two Step
 * 1923: Black Gown
 * 1924: Drake
 * 1925: Twelve Pointer
 * 1926: Diomedes
 * 1927: Highborn II
 * 1928: Nice Prospect
 * 1929: Reedsmouth
 * 1930: Soloptic
 * 1931: Portlaw
 * 1932: The Divot
 * 1933: Myrobella
 * 1934: Mate
 * 1935: Bellacose
 * 1936: Solerina
 * 1937: Ipsden
 * 1938: Old Reliance
 * 1939–44: no race
 * 1945: Royal Charger
 * 1946: Daily Double
 * 1947: Closeburn
 * 1948: The Cobbler
 * 1949: Combined Operations
 * 1950: Bob Cherry
 * 1951: Hard Sauce
 * 1952: Agitator
 * 1953: Parakeet
 * 1954: Princely Gift
 * 1955: Royal Palm
 * 1956: Coronation Year
 * 1957: Welsh Abbot
 * 1958: Logarithm
 * 1959–66: no race
 * 1967: Forlorn River
 * 1968: Mountain Call
 * 1969: Burglar
 * 1970: Realm
 * 1971: Joshua
 * 1972: Abergwaun
 * 1973: Boldboy
 * 1974: New Model
 * 1975: Be Tuneful
 * 1976: Star Bird