Ribblesdale Stakes

The Ribblesdale Stakes is a Group 2 race for three-year-old fillies over a mile and a half at Royal Ascot. It is currently scheduled for day 3 of the meeting and often attracts fillies who were beaten in the Epsom Oaks.

Notable past winners of the Ribblesdale Stakes include Park Top (1967), Shoot A Line (1980), Alydaress (1989), Phantom Gold (1995), Bracelet (2014) and Star Catcher (2019).

Find out more about the Ribblesdale Stakes:

Race Overview – The Ribblesdale Stakes

The Ribblesdale Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race for three-year-old fillies in the United Kingdom. It takes place at Ascot in June over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards as part of Royal Ascot.

Check out our guides to all the other Group 2 horse races.

Ribblesdale Stakes Previous Winners

Take a look at the previous winners from the Ribblesdale Stakes:

Ribblesdale Stakes Previous Result

Check out the latest result on the Ascot Racing Track:

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Famous Ribblesdale Stakes Winners

The Ribblesdale Stakes was first run in 1919 over a mile for three and four-year-olds. The distance was changed after World War II and it was restricted to fillies in 1950. As well as offering some consolation for fillies defeated in the Epsom Oaks, the Ribblesdale serves as a key trial for the Irish Oaks.

The brilliant Park Top won this race in 1967 and would go to become a champion race mare in 1969. Her victories included the Coronation Cup, the Hardwicke Stakes and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Shoot A Line ran disappointingly in the 1980 Epsom Oaks but produced a fine performance to win the Ribblesdale by five lengths. She then made all the running to win the Irish Oaks and then repelled the classy Vielle to win the Yorkshire Oaks. She also finished runner-up in the 1981 Ascot Gold Cup behind Ardross.

1989 winner Alydaress also went on to win the Irish Oaks after landing the Ribblesdale. She was trained by Sir Henry Cecil and ridden by Steve Cauthen, racing in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed. She was runner-up in the Yorkshire Oaks and the Gran Premio del Jockey Club before being retired to the paddocks.

Other high-class winners include Irish Oaks winner Bolas (1994) and Yorkshire Oaks winner Hellenic (1990). One of the best remembered winners of the Ribblesdale is Her Majesty The Queen’s Phantom Gold who won under Frankie Dettori in 1995. She is fondly regarded by Her Majesty for playing a key role in the Royal Studs’ breeding operation.

The most recent Ribblesdale winners to go on and win the Irish Oaks were Bracelet (2014), trained by Aidan O’Brien, and John Gosden’s Star Catcher (2019). The latter also won the Prix Vermeille and the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

Key Ribblesdale Stakes Trials

Although the Epsom Oaks is the first place to look for Ribblesdale Stakes entries, it is not always the best form guide. Fillies can have a tough race in the Epsom Classic and fail to reproduce their best at Royal Ascot.

Top stables like John and Thady Gosden and Aidan O’Brien usually prefer to run their fillies in one or other rather than both races.

Victory in the Ribblesdale is virtually a ticket to the Irish Oaks with ten of the last twelve winners taking that route. Only two of them were successful, Bracelet and Star Catcher.

Frankly Darling ran in the Epsom Oaks next time and finished third, although that was a one-off with a re-jigged racing calendar during the pandemic.

The subsequent record of Ribblesdale winners in the Yorkshire Oaks is dire in recent seasons with the last nine beaten at York.

Ribblesdale Stakes Betting Trends

Although there have only been three successful Ribblesdale outright favourites and one joint-favourite in the past twelve seasons, shock results are rare. Hibaayeb (2010) started 4-1 joint favourite, Banimpire (2011) 3-1 favourite, Even Song 15-8 favourite and Frankly Darling 11-8 favourite.

Four of the last twelve winners were outside the top three in the betting.

The longest priced winner was 18-1 outsider Loving Dream in 2021. Bracelet (2014) was a 10-1 shot, Coronet (2017) started at 9-1 and Princess Highway (2012) was a 17-2 chance.

Only four of the last twelve winners had previously raced over a mile and a half. Five of the twelve had won at least once in a Group 1 to 3 race and an official rating of 94 or higher is usually required to win this race.

The highest-rated winner in recent years was Banimpire (2011) on 109. Lady Cecil’s Riposte was the lowest rated on 89 when winning under Tom Queally in 2013.

Ribblesdale Stakes – Top Trainers and Jockeys

Four trainers currently share the honour of leading trainer in the Ribblesdale Stakes with five winner; Sir Henry Cecil, John Dunlop, Saeed bin Suroor and John Gosden. The latter has won it five times since 2008; Michita (2008), Coronet (2017), Star Catcher (2019), Frankly Darling (2020) and Loving Dream (2021).

Bin Suroor’s most recent success in the race was Hibaayeb in 2010 while Aidan O’Brien won it three times in the space of five years with Bracelet (2014), Even Song (2016) and Magic Wand (2018).

Frankie Dettori is the jockey to follow in the Ribblesdale with a record eight victories; Phantom Gold (1995), Bahr (1998), Fairy Queen (1999), Punctilious (2004), Flying Cloud (2009), Hibaayeb (2010), Star Catcher (2019) and Frankly Darling (2020).

Ryan Moore has three recent victories having ridden Curvy (2015) for David Wachman and both Even Song and Magic Wand for O’Brien.

Betting on the Ribblesdale Stakes

The Ribblesdale Stakes has been virtually monopolised by the powerful stables of Aidan O’Brien and John and Thady Gosden, accounting for seven of the last eight winners.

That trend looks likely to continue as both yards shuffle their Epsom Oaks contenders and plan towards the Irish Oaks at the Curragh.

Summary of Ribblesdale Stakes

Thank you for reading our Ribblesdale Stakes guide. We have looked at odds, history, tips and more, so you have al the information that you need.

The Ribblesdale takes place on the same day as the following races:

• Ascot Gold Cup
• Norfolk Stakes
• Britannia Stakes
• Hampton Court Stakes
• King George V Stakes

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