| 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.
History
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. 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).
Records
Leading jockey (4 wins):
- Michael Hills – Negligent (1989), Hula Angel (1998), Maids Causeway (2004), Just The Judge (2012)
- Frankie Dettori - Crystal Gazing (1990), Moonlight Paradise (1996), Spain Burg (2016), Juliet Capulet (2017)
- Ryan Moore - Cape Dollar (2010), Wading (2011), Just Wonderful (2018), Bubbling (2024)
Leading trainer (4 wins):
- Barry Hills – Negligent (1989), Yawl (1992), Hula Angel (1998), Maids Causeway (2004)
- Aidan O'Brien - Kitty Matcham (2007), Wading (2011), Just Wonderful (2018), Bubbling (2024)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Top Hope | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | 1:28.56 |
| 1982 | Saving Mercy | Brian Taylor | Jeremy Hindley | 1:29.45 |
| 1983 | Mahogany | Joe Mercer | Charlie Nelson | 1:26.89 |
| 1984 | Kashi Lagoon | Bruce Raymond | Ben Hanbury | 1:28.71 |
| 1985 | Tralthee | Lester Piggott | Luca Cumani | 1:27.30 |
| 1986 | At Risk | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | 1:29.47 |
| 1987 | no race | |||
| 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 | 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 |
See also
References
- ^ "Weekend of Champions". britishchampionsseries.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- Paris-Turf:
- Racing Post:
- galopp-sieger.de – Rockfel Stakes.
- ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Rockfel Stakes (2019).
- pedigreequery.com – Rockfel Stakes – Newmarket.
- Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. p. 212. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.