# Craven Stakes

The Craven Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket in mid-April.

## History

The event is named after William Craven, 6th Baron Craven, a member of the Jockey Club in the 18th century. His support for racing at Newmarket led to the introduction of the Craven Meeting in 1771.
The first race had a subscription of 5 guineas, to which 21 subscribed. It was to be run "from the ditch to the turn of the lands." The race was won by Pantaloon, owned by a Mr Vernon. Fourteen horses had taken part.
An open-age version of the Craven Stakes was staged annually until the 1870s. It traditionally took place on a Monday in April, and was usually Newmarket's first race of the season. Several other venues had a race of the same name.
The present race, a one-mile event for three-year-olds, was established in 1878. The inaugural running was won by Thurio.
The modern version of the Craven Stakes can serve as a trial for the 2,000 Guineas. The first horse to win both races was Scot Free in 1884. The most recent was Haafhd in 2004.
The Craven Stakes is currently held on the third day of Newmarket's three-day Craven Meeting.

## Records

Most successful horse (3 wins):
* Woodpecker – 1778, 1779, 1781
Leading jockey since 1878 (6 wins):
* Morny Cannon – Harbinger (1893), Sempronius (1894), Guernsey (1897), Solennis (1899), Port Blair (1902), His Eminence (1906)
Leading trainer since 1878 (8 wins):
* Sir Michael Stoute – Shadeed (1985), Ajdal (1987), Doyoun (1988), Shaadi (1989), Alnasr Alwasheek (1992), Desert Story (1997), King of Happiness (2002), Adagio (2007)

## Winners since 1970

* ↑ The 2020 running was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom

## Earlier winners
### Original version

* 1771: Pantaloon
* 1772: Jason
* 1773: Firetail
* 1774: Sweetwilliam
* 1775: Barbary
* 1776: Hephestion
* 1777: Maiden
* 1778: Woodpecker
* 1779: Woodpecker
* 1780: Triumph
* 1781: Woodpecker
* 1782: Potoooooooo
* 1783: Alaric
* 1784: Buzaglo
* 1785: Dungannon
* 1786: Premier
* 1787: Ulysses
* 1788: Mufti
* 1789: Thorn
* 1790: Bullfinch
* 1791: Mufti
* 1792: Minos
* 1793: Buzzard
* 1794: Buzzard
* 1795: Kitt Carr
* 1796: Play or Pay
* 1797: Hambletonian
* 1798: Aimator
* 1799: Spoliator
* 1800: Oscar
* 1801: Eagle
* 1802: Cockfighter
* 1803: Eagle
* 1804: Aniseed
* 1805: Ditto
* 1806: Sir David
* 1807: Selim
* 1808: Deceiver
* 1809: Violante
* 1810: Rubens
* 1811: Recorder
* 1812: Flash
* 1813: Offas's Dyke
* 1814: Slender Billy
* 1815: Wire
* 1816: Bourbon
* 1817: Roller
* 1818: Skim
* 1819: Cannon Ball
* 1820: Antar
* 1821: colt by Comus
* 1822: Godolphin
* 1823: Scarborough
* 1824: Vargas
* 1825: Longwaist
* 1826: Trinculo
* 1827: The Alderman
* 1828: Lamplighter
* 1829: Zinganee
* 1830: Seraph
* 1831: Priam
* 1832: Chapman
* 1833: Camarine
* 1834: Colwick
* 1835: Plenipotentiary
* 1836: Redshank
* 1837: Flock
* 1838: Redshank
* 1839: Quo Minus
* 1840: Scroggins
* 1841: Epirus
* 1842: The Currier
* 1843: Ma Mie
* 1844: Corranna
* 1847: King of Morven
* 1850: Retail
* 1851: Sotterley
* 1852: Lady Agnes
* 1853: Ariosto
* 1854: Calamus
* 1855: Orinoco
* 1856: Napoleon III
* 1857: Flacrow
* 1858: Fisherman
* 1859: Sedbury
* 1860: Cynricus
* 1861: Crater
* 1862: Blackcock
* 1863: Romanoff
* 1864: Bathilde
* 1865: Pirate
* 1866: Mazeppa
* 1867: Lord Lyon
* 1868: Lady Coventry
* 1869: Blue Gown
* 1870: Rosicrucian
* 1871: Panoplite
* 1872: Sterling
* 1873: Prince Charlie
* 1874: Drummond
* 1875: Gang Forward
* 1876–77: no race

### Current version

* 1878: Thurio
* 1879: Discord
* 1880: Fernandez
* 1881: Cameliard
* 1882: Laureate
* 1883: Grandmaster
* 1884: Scot Free
* 1885: Esterling
* 1886: Grey Friars
* 1887: The Baron
* 1888: Orbit
* 1889: Gay Hampton
* 1890: Morion
* 1891: Friar Lubin
* 1892: The Lover
* 1893: Harbinger
* 1894: Sempronius
* 1895: The Owl
* 1896: Lord Hervey
* 1897: Guernsey
* 1898: Jeddah
* 1899: Solennis
* 1900: Headpiece
* 1901: Rigo
* 1902: Port Blair
* 1903: Countermark
* 1904: Airlie
* 1905: St Oswald
* 1906: His Eminence
* 1907: Slieve Gallion
* 1908: no race
* 1909: Howick
* 1910: Neil Gow
* 1911: Irish King
* 1912: Jingling Geordie
* 1913: Sanquhar
* 1914: Kennymore
* 1915: Rossendale
* 1916: Sir Dighton / Roi d'Ecosse *
* 1917: Dansellon
* 1918: Benevente
* 1919: Buchan
* 1920: Daylight Patrol
* 1921: no race
* 1922: Collaborator
* 1923: Light Hand
* 1924: St Germans
* 1925: Picaroon
* 1926: Harpagon
* 1927: Tattoo
* 1928: Royal Minstrel
* 1929: Cragadour
* 1930: Writ
* 1931: Philae
* 1932: Loaningdale
* 1933: Lochiel
* 1934: Colombo
* 1935: Buckleigh
* 1936: Monument
* 1937: Snowfall
* 1938: Challenge
* 1939: Signal Light
* 1940: Prince Tetra
* 1941: Morogoro
* 1942–45: no race
* 1946: Gulf Stream
* 1947: Migoli
* 1948: My Babu
* 1949: Moondust
* 1950: Rising Flame
* 1951: Claudius
* 1952: Kara Tepe
* 1953: Oleandrin
* 1954: Ambler II
* 1955: True Cavalier
* 1956: Pirate King
* 1957: Shearwater
* 1958: Bald Eagle
* 1959: Pindari
* 1960: Tudorich
* 1961: Aurelius
* 1962: High Noon
* 1963: Crocket
* 1964: Young Christopher
* 1965: Corifi
* 1966: Salvo
* 1967: Sloop
* 1968: Petingo
* 1969: Paddy's Progress
* The 1916 race was a dead-heat and has joint winners.