British classic races - wikipedia British classic races Sceptre, the only outright winner of four classics, painted by Emil Adam The British Classics are five long - standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season. They are restricted to three - year - old horses and traditionally represent the pinnacle of achievement for racehorses against their own age group. As such, victory in any classic marks a horse as amongst the very best of a generation. Victory in two or even three of the series ( a rare feat known as the English Triple Crown ) marks a horse as truly exceptional. Contents 1 Races 2 History 3 Multiple classic winners 4 Records 5 See also 6 References Races The five British Classics are : Race Date Distance Course First Run 2,000 Guineas Stakes Late April / early May 1 mile ( 1,609 m ) Newmarket 1809 1,000 Guineas Stakes Late April / early May 1 mile ( 1,609 m ) Newmarket 1814 Epsom Oaks Early June 1 mile 4 furlongs 10 yd ( 2,423 m ) Epsom Downs 1779 Epsom Derby First Saturday in June 1 mile 4 furlongs 10 yd ( 2,423 m ) Epsom Downs 1780 St. Leger Stakes September 1 mile 6 furlongs 132 yd ( 2,937 m ) Doncaster 1776 It is common to think of them as taking place in three legs. The first leg is made up of the Newmarket Classics -- 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas. Given that the 1,000 Guineas is restricted to fillies, this is regarded as the fillies ' classic and the 2,000, which is open to both sexes, as the colts ' classic, although it is theoretically possible for a filly to compete in both. The second leg is made up of The Derby and / or Oaks, both ridden over 1 1 / 2 miles at Epsom in early June. The Oaks is regarded as the fillies ' classic, the Derby as the colts ', although, as with the Guineas, a filly could theoretically contest both. The final leg is the St. Leger, held over 1 mile 6 1 / 2 furlongs at Doncaster and is open to both sexes. The variety of distances and racecourses faced in the Classics make them particularly challenging as a series to even the best horses. It is rare for a horse to possess both the speed and stamina to compete across all these distances, making the Triple Crown a particularly notable achievement. In fact, in the modern era, it is rare for any attempt on the Triple Crown to be made. History Although the oldest race in the series, the St Leger, was first run 1776, the races were not designated ' classics ' until 1815, shortly after the first running of the 1,000 Guineas. Multiple classic winners ( see also Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing ) Nijinsky, the last winner of the Triple Crown in 1970 In 1902 Sceptre became the only racehorse to win four British Classic Races outright, winning both Guineas, the Oaks and the St Leger. Previously, in 1868, Formosa won the same four races but dead - heated in the 2,000 Guineas. Fifteen horses have won the standard Triple Crown ( 2,000 Guineas -- Derby -- St Leger ), the last being Nijinsky in 1970. In addition to Sceptre and Formosa above, eight horses have won the fillies ' Triple Crown ( 1,000 Guineas -- Oaks -- St Leger ), the last being Oh So Sharp in 1985. Many horses have won two classics, some of whom have gone on to attempt the Triple Crown, losing in the last leg at Doncaster. The most recent example of this was the Aidan O'Brien trained Camelot, who having won 2,000 Guineas and Derby, finished second in the St Leger in 2012. Records Most wins as a horse Sceptre -- 4 wins ( 1902 ) Most wins as a jockey Lester Piggott -- 30 wins ( 1954 -- 1992 ) See also Category : British Classic Race winners English Triple Crown race winners French Classic Races Japanese Classic Races Irish Classic Races United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing References Jump up ^ `` Glossary ''. National Horseracing Museum. Retrieved 8 April 2013. Jump up ^ `` The History of Horse Racing ''. Equine World. Retrieved 8 April 2013. Jump up ^ Thoroughbred Heritage : Sceptre Retrieved 13 September 2010 Horseracing in Great Britain Venues National Hunt Aintree Bangor - on - Dee Cartmel Cheltenham Exeter Fakenham Fontwell Park Hereford Hexham Huntingdon Kelso Ludlow Market Rasen Newton Abbot Perth Plumpton Sedgefield Stratford - on - Avon Taunton Towcester Uttoxeter Warwick Wincanton Worcester Flat Bath Beverley Brighton Chelmsford City Chester Epsom Downs Goodwood Great Yarmouth Hamilton Park Newmarket Nottingham Pontefract Redcar Ripon Salisbury Thirsk Windsor Wolverhampton York Mixed Ascot Ayr Carlisle Catterick Chepstow Doncaster Ffos Las Haydock Park Kempton Park Leicester Lingfield Park Musselburgh Newbury Newcastle Sandown Park Southwell Wetherby Former Stockbridge ( 1898 ) Lincoln ( 1965 ) Alexandra Park ( 1970 ) Wye ( 1974 ) Lanark ( 1977 ) Stockton ( 1981 ) Folkestone ( 2012 ) Named races List of British flat horse races ( British Classic Races ) List of British National Hunt races Regulation British Horseracing Authority Other bodies British Racing School Horserace Betting Levy Board National Association of Stable Staff Racehorse Owners Association Tattersalls The National Stud Weatherbys Course owners Arena Racing Company ( 15 ) ( Merger of Arena Leisure and Northern Racing by Reuben Brothers ) Jockey Club Racecourses ( 14 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Classic_Races&oldid=807507360 '' Categories : Horse races in Great Britain Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from May 2013 Use British English from May 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2017, at 12 : 13. 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Question: winner of the fillies triple crown in 1985 crossword clue
Answer: Oh So Sharp