# British Champions Sprint Stakes

The British Champions Sprint Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.

## History

The event was established in 1946, and it was originally called the Diadem Stakes. It was named after Diadem (foaled 1914), a winner of several of Ascot's leading races. For a period it was staged in October, and it later moved to September.
The current system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the Diadem Stakes initially held Group 3 status. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 1996. It had a prize fund of £100,000 in 2010.
The race was given its present name and switched to October in 2011. It became part of the newly created British Champions Day, and its purse was increased to £250,000. It now serves as the sprint-category final of the British Champions Series. The race was upgraded to Group 1 status from its 2015 running.

## Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Set Fair – 1952, 1954
* Jack and Jill – 1958, 1959
Leading jockey (7 wins):
* Lester Piggott – Abergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat), Absalom (1979), Moorestyle (1981), Salieri (1983)
Leading trainer (4 wins):
* Walter Nightingall – Set Fair (1952, 1954), Jack and Jill (1958, 1959)
* Vincent O'Brien – Abergwaun (1971), Home Guard (1972), Saritamer (1974), Swingtime (1975, dead-heat)

## Winners since 1973

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
| 1973 | Boldboy | 3 | Joe Mercer | Dick Hern | 1:16.62 |
| 1974 | Saritamer | 3 | Lester Piggott | Vincent O'Brien | 1:20.11 |
| 1975 (dh) | Roman Warrior Swingtime | 4 3 | Johnny Seagrave Lester Piggott | N Angus Vincent O'Brien | 1:15.55 |
| 1976 | Honeyblest | 4 | Geoff Baxter | Doug Smith | 1:16.01 |
| 1977 | Gentilhombre | 4 | Paul Cook | Neil Adam | 1:14.14 |
| 1978 | Creetown | 6 | Robert Street | Ron Sheather | 1:16.33 |
| 1979 | Absalom | 4 | Lester Piggott | Ryan Jarvis | 1:15.63 |
| 1980 | Sovereign Rose | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | 1:13.80 |
| 1981 | Moorestyle | 4 | Lester Piggott | Robert Armstrong | 1:14.69 |
| 1982 | Indian King | 4 | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | 1:17.00 |
| 1983 | Salieri | 3 | Lester Piggott | Henry Cecil | 1:14.85 |
| 1984 | Never So Bold | 4 | Steve Cauthen | Robert Armstrong | 1:13.91 |
| 1985 | Al Sylah | 3 | Tony Murray | Harry Thomson Jones | 1:13.43 |
| 1986 | Hallgate | 3 | Greville Starkey | Sally Hall | 1:15.32 |
| 1987 | Dowsing | 3 | Pat Eddery | Jeremy Tree | 1:14.67 |
| 1988 | Cadeaux Genereux | 3 | Pat Eddery | Olivier Douieb | 1:15.91 |
| 1989 | Chummy's Favourite | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Neville Callaghan | 1:14.25 |
| 1990 | Ron's Victory | 3 | Freddy Head | Alain Falourd | 1:12.66 |
| 1991 | Shalford | 3 | Tony Cruz | Richard Hannon Sr. | 1:18.95 |
| 1992 | Wolfhound | 3 | Steve Cauthen | John Gosden | 1:17.20 |
| 1993 | Catrail | 3 | Michael Roberts | John Gosden | 1:15.63 |
| 1994 | Lake Coniston | 3 | Pat Eddery | Geoff Lewis | 1:14.35 |
| 1995 | Cool Jazz | 4 | Corey Nakatani | Clive Brittain | 1:18.56 |
| 1996 | Diffident | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 1:15.36 |
| 1997 | Elnadim | 3 | Richard Hills | John Dunlop | 1:12.56 |
| 1998 | Bianconi | 3 | Johnny Murtagh | Aidan O'Brien | 1:13.98 |
| 1999 | Bold Edge | 4 | Dane O'Neill | Richard Hannon Sr. | 1:20.12 |
| 2000 | Sampower Star | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | 1:17.29 |
| 2001 | Nice One Clare | 5 | Johnny Murtagh | Pip Payne | 1:17.60 |
| 2002 | Crystal Castle | 4 | Kieren Fallon | John Hammond | 1:13.40 |
| 2003 | Acclamation | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Gerald Cottrell | 1:12.60 |
| 2004 | Pivotal Point | 4 | Seb Sanders | Peter Makin | 1:13.55 |
| 2005 | Baron's Pit | 5 | Johnny Murtagh | Amanda Perrett | 1:10.74 |
| 2006 | Red Clubs | 3 | Michael Hills | Barry Hills | 1:13.71 |
| 2007 | Haatef | 3 | Richard Hills | Kevin Prendergast | 1:13.96 |
| 2008 | King's Apostle | 4 | Liam Jones | William Haggas | 1:14.20 |
| 2009 | Sayif | 3 | Richard Hills | Peter Chapple-Hyam | 1:12.57 |
| 2010 | Lady of the Desert | 3 | Richard Hughes | Brian Meehan | 1:14.13 |
| 2011 | Deacon Blues | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | James Fanshawe | 1:12.55 |
| 2012 | Maarek | 5 | Jamie Spencer | David Peter Nagle | 1:15.99 |
| 2013 | Slade Power | 4 | Wayne Lordan | Edward Lynam | 1:15.79 |
| 2014 | Gordon Lord Byron | 6 | Wayne Lordan | Tom Hogan | 1:17.30 |
| 2015 | Muhaarar | 3 | Paul Hanagan | Charles Hills | 1:13.34 |
| 2016 | The Tin Man | 4 | Tom Queally | James Fanshawe | 1:12.15 |
| 2017 | Librisa Breeze | 5 | Robert Winston | Dean Ivory | 1:16.78 |
| 2018 | Sands of Mali | 3 | Paul Hanagan | Richard Fahey | 1:14.21 |
| 2019 | Donjuan Triumphant | 6 | Silvestre De Sousa | Andrew Balding | 1:16.43 |
| 2020 | Glen Shiel | 6 | Hollie Doyle | Archie Watson | 1:16.74 |
| 2021 | Creative Force | 3 | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | 1:13.79 |
| 2022 | Kinross | 5 | Frankie Dettori | Ralph Beckett | 1:15.57 |
| 2023 | Art Power | 6 | David Allan | Tim Easterby | 1:16.92 |
| 2024 | Kind Of Blue | 3 | James Doyle | James Fanshawe | 1:17.22 |
* ↑ The 2005 edition was held at Newmarket

## Earlier winners

* 1946: The Bug
* 1947: Djelal
* 1948: Combined Operations
* 1949: Solonaway
* 1950: Abadan
* 1951: Ki Ming
* 1952: Set Fair
* 1953: Rose Coral
* 1954: Set Fair
* 1955: Pappa Fourway
* 1956: King Bruce
* 1957: Arcandy
* 1958: Jack and Jill
* 1959: Jack and Jill
* 1960: Zanzibar
* 1961: Satan
* 1962: La Belle
* 1963: Sammy Davis
* 1964: Ampney Princess
* 1965: Majority Blue
* 1966: Lucasland
* 1967: Great Bear
* 1968: Secret Ray
* 1969: Song
* 1970: Realm
* 1971: Abergwaun
* 1972: Home Guard
* 1 2 3 The 1956, 1960 and 1963 runnings took place at Kempton Park