The Coronation Cup is a Group 1 flat race that is held during the Derby Festival for horses aged four years or older. The Coronation Cup was first run in 1902 and has developed into one of the leading races for former Derby and Oaks horses. The race has received a significant prize money boost in recent years and is always expected to be contested by some of the world's best mile and a half horses. The race is run fairly early in the season, and often used as a launching point for horses that will contest the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes later in the year.
The Coronation Cup is run over the distance of one mile, four furlongs and ten yards on the left-handed Epsom Downs Racetrack. The race is open only to qualifying four-year-old (or older) thoroughbreds. Male horses must carry 9 stones, whereas, female horses must carry 8 st-11 lbs.
location: Epsom Downs, Surrey
grade: Group 1
race type: Flat
The first running of the Investec Coronation Cup occurred in 1902 to honour the coronation of King Edward VII. Currently, it is sponsored by QUIPCO and starts off a succession of middle-distance races, open to both colts and fillies, in the British Champions Series including the Investec Derby, Prince of Wales's Stakes, Coral-Eclipse, King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Juddmonte International, and Champion Stakes.
Have a look at some of the records for the Coronation Cup including best jockey, trainer, and performances from top thoroughbreds (as of 2017) .
The roll of honour of Coral Eclipse Stakes winners is one of the most impressive for any race around the world and includes a number of racing superstars. Orme (1892, 1893), Buchan (1919, 1920), Polyphontes (1924, 1925), Mtoto (1987, 1988), and Halling (1995, 1996) are the only horses to have won the race on more than one occasion.
Legendary jockey Lester Piggott is the most successful rider in the Coronation Cup winning the race on nine occasions from 1953 to 1983. Three of those wins were back to back starting with Nagami in 1959 followed by a double win on Petite Etoile in 1960 and 1961.
The Coronation Cup has proven to be a very difficult race to win on multiple occasions, with only Pretty Polly (1905 and 1906), The White Knight (1907 and 1908), Petite Etoile (1960 and 1961), Triptych (1987 and 1988), Warrsan (2003 and 2004), and St. Nicholas Abbey (2011, 2012, 2013) able to win the race back to back.
The horse that won by the widest margin of 15 lengths was Solario in 1926.
In just over a century since its genesis, the Coronation Cup has hosted several of the greatest thoroughbreds in the historyof racing (as of 2017) .
The 1905 and 1906 winner, Pretty Polly, is a memorable name in the history of this race due to her claim of being the first to win consecutive Coronation Cup races, the Fillies' Triple Crown win in 1904 and impressive career record of 22 wins from 24 starts.
Dastur is considered one of the unluckiest horses to run in the history of racing, as he came in second in most career races including the Derby, 2000 Guineas, Champion Stakes and St. Leger. He redeemed himself with a Coronation Cup win in 1933 making for one of the greatest moments in the history of the race.
The 1984 winner, Time Charter, had an impressive season winning the Oaks, Champion Stakes and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes before also adding a Coronation Cup win to the list.
