The Coronation Cup is a
Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal
* Group 1 (motorsport), a regulation set of the FIA for series-production touring cars used in motorsport.
* Group One Thoroughbred horse races, the leading e ...
flat horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...
in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at
Epsom Downs
Epsom Downs is an area of chalk downland, chalk upland near Epsom, Surrey; in the North Downs. Part of the area is taken up by the Epsom Downs Racecourse, racecourse; the gallops are part of the land purchased by Stanly Wootton in 1925 and are ...
over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2,420 metres), or about 1½ miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.
History
The event was established in 1902 to commemorate the
coronation
A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...
of a new British monarch,
King Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
. Epsom had staged a similar race, the
Epsom Gold Cup, which was open to horses aged three or older. The Coronation Cup was temporarily switched to alternative venues during wartime periods, with runnings at
Newmarket (1915–16, 1943–45) and
Newbury (1941).
The race is contested on the first day of Epsom's two-day Derby Festival meeting, the same day as the
Epsom Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 ya ...
. Its distance is the same as that of both the Oaks and the
Epsom Derby
The Derby Stakes, more commonly known as the Derby and sometimes referred to as the Epsom Derby, is a Group races, Group 1 flat Horse racing, horse race in England open to three-year-old Colt (horse), colts and Filly, fillies. It is run at Ep ...
, and it often features horses who competed in those events in the preceding seasons.
The race was run on the Thursday of the Derby meeting until 1994, it was run on a Saturday in 1975 (due to the European Community Membership referendum on the Thursday), 1995–97, 2012–16 and finally run on the Friday from 1998–2011 then from 2017 to the present.
Records
Most successful horse (3 wins):
*
St Nicholas Abbey – ''2011, 2012, 2013''
Leading jockey (9 wins):
*
Lester Piggott
Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and horse trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
– ''Zucchero (1953), Nagami (1959), Petite Etoile (1960, 1961), Park Top (1969), Roberto (1973), Quiet Fling (1976), Sea Chimes (1980), Be My Native (1983)''
Leading
trainer (10 wins):
*
Aidan O'Brien
Aidan Patrick O'Brien (born 16 October 1969 in County Wexford, Ireland)[ Aidan O'Brien bio NTRA. ...](_blank)
– ''Yeats (2005), Scorpion (2007), Soldier of Fortune (2008), Fame and Glory (2010), St Nicholas Abbey (2011, 2012, 2013), Highland Reel (2017),
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
(2024),Jan Brueghel (2025) ''
Leading owner (10 wins):
''(includes part ownership)''
*
Sue Magnier
John Magnier (born 10 February 1948) is an Irish people, Irish business magnate. He is a leading thoroughbred stud (animal), stud owner and has extensive business interests outside the horse-breeding industry.
Magnier was a senator in the uppe ...
– ''Yeats (2005), Scorpion (2007), Soldier of Fortune (2008), Fame and Glory (2010), St Nicholas Abbey (2011, 2012, 2013), Highland Reel (2017),
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
(2024),Jan Brueghel (2025) ''
Winners
See also
*
Horse racing in Great Britain
Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total di ...
*
List of British flat horse races
A list of notable Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse races which take place annually in Great Britain, under the authority of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), including all conditions races which currently hold Group One, Group 1, 2 or 3 ...
References
* Paris-Turf:
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*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 ...
:
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External links
* Race Recordings (1972-2004
youtube.comgalopp-sieger.de– ''Coronation Cup (ex Epsom Gold Cup).''
ifhaonline.org– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Coronation Cup (2019).''
pedigreequery.com– ''Coronation Cup – Epsom.''
*
{{British Champions Series, state=uncollapsed
Flat races in Great Britain
Epsom Downs Racecourse
Open middle distance horse races
Horse races established in 1902
1902 establishments in England
Edward VII