A lot of racing superstars start their journey in The British Classic Series.
The British Classic programme of races ensures that owners and trainers are identifying potential routes for horses as soon as they are bought at the sales as foals or yearlings.
2YOs that are quick to mature will often run in maidens early in the British season, between mid-March and June, while slower developing sorts will be given more time and entered later in the year. Impressive maiden winners will head to Group races for 2YOs at the big meetings, such as the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood or the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket.
LOVE, winner of 1000 Guineas 2020
The following season, these 3YOs may take in a preparatory race such as the Craven Stakes or Nell Gwyn Stakes in April, contests for colts and fillies that, like the Dewhurst, are run on the same Newmarket Rowley Mile course as the 1000 and 2000 Guineas a few weeks later. These are the first two British Classics. The next stop on the road to immortality for the colts is the Derby Stakes, run at Epsom on the first Saturday of June, while the fillies’ equivalent is the Oaks, 24 hours earlier.
In contrast to the 4YO Classic Series in Hong Kong, which culminates in the Hong Kong Derby, the Epsom equivalent is the middle leg of the British Classic programme. In Britain, after the Oaks and Derby, colts and fillies then compete against each other in the final Classic of the season, the St Leger Stakes, which takes place at Doncaster in September.
LOVE, winner of 1000 Guineas 2020
CAMELOT finished second in the St Leger Stakes 2012 and failed to become the Triple Crown winner in 2012.
Horses that win all the three races in the Classic Series is said to have won the Triple Crown. However, it is beyond a challenging task anytime anywhere. RAPPER DRAGON and GOLDEN SIXTY are the only two heroes in Hong Kong to sweep the 4YO Classic Series since its inauguration. With varying courses and distances in the British Classic Series, it is even harder to discover such a gem of a 3YO with genuine speed, stamina, and full-season consistency spanning from early spring to late fall, to survive the entire series, let alone champing it all. Indeed, no colts since NIJINSKY in 1970, nor fillies, since OH SO SHARP in 1985, has replicated such feat. Greats such as FRANKEL (2011) and SEA THE STARS (2009) who captured either of, or both the 2000 Guineas and Derby Stakes, were too shy on stamina to even ponder stretching out towards the St Leger Stakes trip, whereas the last to really attempt a Triple Crown bid – CAMELOT in 2012 – rallied much too late down the Doncaster stretch, and fell just short of doing so.
British Classic Series
