The Dewhurst Stakes History & Recent Trends 14/10/2023
The Dewhurst Stakes – History
First run in 1875, the Dewhurst has traditionally been used as the peak of the 2-year-old season in Britain, with the winner often becoming favourite for the following years 2,000 Guineas on the back of this. In fact, since Frankel won the race in 2010 there have been four horses to complete the Dewhurst and 2,000 Guineas double (Frankel, Dawn Approach, Churchill and Chaldean). The race was the idea of Thomas Gee, who named it after his breeding operation the Dewhurst Stud. It had an immediate success on the racing calendar with each of the first 4 winners of the race (The Mineral Colt, Chamant, Pilgrimage and Wheel of Fortune) all going on to win a Classic the following season. It has always been run at Newmarket and has formed an essential part of the British Juvenile program.
The Dewhurst Stakes – Trainers and Jockeys
At present there are 2 trainers who share the record for the highest number of wins with 8 each. Both John Porter and Frank Butters achieved that feat before the modern era, with Butters winning his 8th in 1946 with Migoli. That record could change this Saturday as Aiden O’Brien will be seeking a record equalling 8th win in the race, with his first win coming back in 2001 with Rock of Gibraltar.
Lester Piggott stands alone as the winning most jockey and his record of 10 wins between 1956 and 1982 looks very unlikely to be surpassed.
The Dewhurst Stakes – Famous Winners
There have been so many Classic winners to come out of this race that it would be impossible to name check them all. In its early years the likes of Ormonde (1885) and Rock Sand (1902) and Hyperion (1932) crowned there 2-year-old seasons with a Dewhurst win. In more recent times it has been won by Classic winners like Rock of Gibraltar (2001), Sir Percy (2005), New Approach (2007) and St Marks Basilica (2020) as well as champion sprinters like Too Darn Hot (2018) and Pinatubo (2019). They all developed into great champions but by far the most significant performance in the recent history of the Dewhurst came when Frankel announced himself as Group 1 performer by winning the 2010 renewal with subsequent Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Roderic O’Connor trailing behind him in second.
The Dewhurst Stakes – Recent Trends
The race is actually open to Fillies as well as Colts, but you have to go back to the win of Hypericum in 1945 to find the most recent Filly to beat the boys. Aiden O’Brien has won 5 of the last 10 renewals of the race (War Command 2013, Air Force Blue 2015, Churchill 2016, US Navy Flag 2017 and St Marks Basilica 2019) with Ryan Moore on board for 3 of those 5 victories. Stall 5 has been a particularly good draw in recent years, with 4 of the last 10 winners coming from that draw. Most importantly, this race has been very kind for punters with 7 of the last 10 SP favourites duly obliging, although it should be said that 5 of those winners were sent off odds-on.
The Dewhurst is one of those races that has had an immeasurable impact on Racing and the Thoroughbred breed, and the 2023 renewal looks no exception. Don’t forget to check out our Blog and Social Media channels on Saturday for our teams’ thoughts on this years renewal.
