The Sandown Classic Trial is a Group 3 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 three-year-old horses. It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 1 furlong and 209 yards () at

Sandown Park Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt races and one Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Stakes. It regularly has horse racin ...

in late April.

History

The event was established in 1953, and it was originally called the Royal Stakes. The first running was won by Mountain King.

Ladbrokes Ladbrokes Coral is a British gambling company. Its product offering includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. The Ladbrokes portion of the group was established in 1886, and Coral in 1926. In November 2016, th ...

became the sponsor of the race in 1971, and from this point it was known as the Ladbroke Classic Trial. It took place at Kempton Park in 1973. Subsequent sponsors have included

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, Thresher and

Betfred Betfred Group Holdings Limited is a bookmaker based in the United Kingdom, founded by Fred Done.Pronounced to rhyme with "bone". It was first established as a single betting shop in Ordsall, Salford, in 1967. Its turnover in 2004 was reported ...

. The online gambling company Bet365 took over the sponsorship in 2008. The Sandown Classic Trial is staged during a two-day meeting which features both flat and jump races. Other events at the meeting include the

Bet365 Gold Cup The Bet365 Gold Cup is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of about 3 miles ...

, the Celebration Chase, the Gordon Richards Stakes and the Sandown Mile. The race can serve as a

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...

for 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 ...

. The most recent participant to win the Derby is Adayar, the 2021 runner-up.

Records

Leading

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used ...

(5 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 ...

– ''Sun Charger (1957), Snow Cat (1958), Ferneley (1962), Sun Rock (1967), Artaius (1977)'' Leading trainer (9 wins): *

John Gosden John Harry Martin Gosden (born 30 March 1951) is a British Horse trainer, racehorse trainer. He has trained over 3,000 winners worldwide, including victories in the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Epsom Derby, Derby, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, A ...

– ''Pollen Count (1992), True Hero (1993), Linney Head (1994), Santillana (1996), Centennial (2008), Azmeel (2010), Western Hymn (2014), Cunco (2017), Sevenna Star (2018)''

Winners since 1966

Earlier winners

* 1953: Mountain King * 1954: Taw Valley * 1955: Peter Aegus * 1956: Pearl Orama * 1957: Sun Charger * 1958: Snow Cat * 1959: Casque * 1960: Marengo * 1961: Just Great * 1962: Ferneley * 1963: Raise You Ten * 1964: Oncidium * 1965: Nearside

References

* Paris-Turf: **, , , , , *

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