The Middle Park Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to two-year-old thoroughbred colts. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September or early October.

The event was established in 1866, and it was initially known as the Middle Park Plate. It was founded by William Blenkiron, and it was named after his stud at Eltham in Kent. The race was originally open to horses of either gender. It was restricted to colts in 1987.

The leading horses from the Middle Park Stakes sometimes go on to compete in the following season's 2,000 Guineas. The first horse to win both events was Prince Charlie (1871–72), and the most recent was Rodrigo de Triano (1991–92).

The race is currently held on the second day of Newmarket's three-day Cambridgeshire Meeting. This is the same day as the Cheveley Park Stakes, the equivalent race for fillies.

Records

Leading jockey (6 wins):

• Danny Maher – Minstead (1901), Flotsam (1902), Lesbia (1907), Bayardo (1908), Lemberg (1909), Corcyra (1913)
• Sir Gordon Richards – Medieval Knight (1933), Scottish Union (1937), Khaled (1945), The Cobbler (1947), Abernant (1948), Royal Challenger (1953)
• Lester Piggott – Petingo (1967), Steel Heart (1974), Junius (1978), Mattaboy (1980), Cajun (1981), Diesis (1982)

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Leading trainer (4 wins):

• Joseph Dawson – The Rake (1866), Frivolity (1869), Prince Charlie (1871), Peter (1878)
• John Porter – Green Sleeve (1867), Pero Gomez (1868), Friar's Balsam (1887), Orme (1891)
• Mathew Dawson – Busybody (1883), Melton (1884), Minting (1885), Ladas (1893)
• Peter Gilpin – Pretty Polly (1903), Flair (1905), Galvani (1906), Argos (1915)
• Atty Persse – Stefan the Great (1918), Tetratema (1919), Portlaw (1930), Hyacinthus (1940)
• Fred Darling – Press Gang (1929), Medieval Knight (1933), Sun Chariot (1941), The Cobbler (1947)
• Frank Butters – Felicitation (1932), Bahram (1934), Khaled (1945), Saravan (1946)

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Leading owner (6 wins):

• HH Aga Khan III – Diophon (1923), Costaki Pasha (1928), Felicitation (1932), Bahram (1934), Khaled (1945), Buisson Ardent (1955)

Winners since 1977

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
1977	Formidable	Pat Eddery	Peter Walwyn	Peter Goulandris	1:11.20
1978	Junius	Lester Piggott	Vincent O'Brien	Simon Fraser	1:11.00
1979	Known Fact	Willie Carson	Jeremy Tree	Khalid Abdullah	1:13.30
1980	Mattaboy	Lester Piggott	Robert Armstrong	Ravi Tikkoo	1:11.37
1981	Cajun	Lester Piggott	Henry Cecil	J. Stone	1:16.49
1982	Diesis	Lester Piggott	Henry Cecil	Lord Howard de Walden	1:13.36
1983	Creag-an-Sgor	Steve Cauthen	Charlie Nelson	Mrs W. Tulloch	1:13.24
1984	Bassenthwaite	Pat Eddery	Jeremy Tree	Stavros Niarchos	1:13.58
1985	Stalker	Joe Mercer	Peter Walwyn	P. Fetherston-Godley	1:12.12
1986	Mister Majestic	Ray Cochrane	Robert Williams	David Johnson	1:13.75
1987	Gallic League	Steve Cauthen	Barry Hills	Robert Sangster	1:13.95
1988	Mon Tresor	Michael Roberts	Ron Boss	Pam Fitsall	1:12.27
1989	Balla Cove	Steve Cauthen	Ron Boss	Harvey Cohen	1:11.04
1990	Lycius	Cash Asmussen	André Fabre	Sheikh Mohammed	1:10.14
1991	Rodrigo de Triano	Willie Carson	Peter Chapple-Hyam	Robert Sangster	1:11.11
1992	Zieten	Steve Cauthen	André Fabre	Sheikh Mohammed	1:11.28
1993	First Trump	Michael Hills	Geoff Wragg	Mollers Racing	1:13.74
1994	Fard	Willie Carson	David Morley	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:11.36
1995	Royal Applause	Walter Swinburn	Barry Hills	Maktoum Al Maktoum	1:11.14
1996	Bahamian Bounty	Frankie Dettori	David Loder	Maktoum Al Maktoum	1:11.95
1997	Hayil	Richard Hills	David Morley	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:12.39
1998	Lujain	Frankie Dettori	David Loder	Sheikh Mohammed	1:14.74
1999	Primo Valentino	Pat Eddery	Peter Harris	Primo Donnas	1:12.83
2000	Minardi	Michael Kinane	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor / Magnier	1:12.75
2001	Johannesburg	Michael Kinane	Aidan O'Brien	Tabor / Magnier	1:11.73
2002	Oasis Dream	Jimmy Fortune	John Gosden	Khalid Abdullah	1:09.61
2003	Balmont	Pat Eddery	Jeremy Noseda	Sanford Robertson	1:10.68
2004	Ad Valorem	Jamie Spencer	Aidan O'Brien	Sue Magnier	1:12.19
2005	Amadeus Wolf	Neil Callan	Kevin Ryan	Duddy / McDonald	1:12.36
2006	Dutch Art	Frankie Dettori	Peter Chapple-Hyam	Susan Roy	1:14.07
2007	Dark Angel	Michael Hills	Barry Hills	Corbett / Wright	1:12.08
2008	Bushranger	Johnny Murtagh	David Wachman	Smith / Magnier / Tabor	1:09.56
2009	Awzaan	Richard Hills	Mark Johnston	Hamdan Al Maktoum	1:10.11

 Three Valleys finished first in 2003, but he was subsequently disqualified after testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Earlier winners

* The 1940 running took place at Nottingham.

References

• Racing Post:
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• galopp-sieger.de – Middle Park Stakes (ex Middle Park Plate).
• horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Middle Park Stakes (2009).
• pedigreequery.com – Middle Park Stakes – Newmarket.

See also

• Horseracing in Great Britain
• List of British flat horse races
• Recurring events established in 1866 – this race is included under its original title, Middle Park Plate.