1200 Guineas Stakes facts for kids

The 1200 Guineas Stakes was a special horse race held in Great Britain. It was a type of flat race, meaning horses ran on a flat track. Only thoroughbred horses that were five years old could enter. This race took place at Newmarket Racecourse and was very important in the late 1700s.

A Look Back: The History of the Race

The 1200 Guineas Stakes was first planned in 1753. The very first race happened during Easter week in 1757. Many important and wealthy people created this race. These included the Duke of Cumberland and several other Dukes and Earls. A man named Thomas Duncombe was also part of the group.

They all agreed on the rules for the race. It would be run at Newmarket Racecourse on a track called the Beacon course. Only five-year-old horses, both male and female, could compete. Each person who entered a horse had to pay 100 guineas. A guinea was an old British gold coin, worth a lot of money back then! All the horses had to carry a weight of nine stone. A stone is a unit of weight, and nine stone is about 57 kilograms.

The race was first set to run for five years in a row, starting in 1757. But it was so popular that they decided to keep it going in 1762.

Who Won the Most?

Owner with the most wins (4 wins):

• 1st Baron Grosvenor – Cadet (1762), Ancient Pistol (1769), Bay Halkin (1770), Pigeon (1774)

Winners of the 1200 Guineas Stakes (to 1786)

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British flat horse races