Yorkshire Cup

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The Yorkshire Cup is a Group 2 race for four-year-olds and upwards over a mile and three-quarters.

The Yorkshire Cup is held on 17th May 2024.

It takes place on the final day of the York Dante meeting in May.

It is a traditional target for Ascot Gold Cup contenders and has been won by many of racing’s greatest stayers. Stradivarius (2018, 2019, 2022) became the first three-time winner while other notable winners include Ardross (1981, 1982), Classic Cliché (1996), Sergeant Cecil (2007) and Red Cadeaux (2012).

Find out more about the Yorkshire Cup:

Yorkshire Cup

Race Overview – The Yorkshire Cup

The Yorkshire Cup is a Group 2 flat horse racing event for horses aged four and upheld in the United Kingdom.

It is run over a distance of 1 mile, 5 furlongs, and 188 yards and is held in York in May.

The Yorkshire Cup takes place on the final day of the three-day York Dante Festival.

Yorkshire Cup 2024 Odds

Here are the latest odds for the Yorkshire Cup in May 2024:

[justodds event=”3.35-york-race-4″]

Yorkshire Cup 2024 Tips

Here are some tips for Yorkshire Cup in May 2024:

  • 2 points to win for SISKANY
  • 1 point each way for BROOME

Some of the horses in the Yorkshire Cup will run in other events later in the year. Stay updated on the horses and place ante-post bets if you want to wager on them.

Check out the predictions for the York horse races from brilliant wagerers who consider essential data like the York Draw Bias.

For all horse racing events, our very best horse racing tippers offer free horse racing advice!

Yorkshire Cup Previous Winners

YearWinnerAgeJockeyTrainerTime
1927Templestowe5Tommy WestonRobert Colling
1928Royal Pom4George BainesRonald Farquharson
1929The Consul4Willie StephensonWilliam Rose Jarvis
1930The Bastard[a]4Harry WraggJack Jarvis
1931The Scout II4Joe ChildsCecil Boyd-Rochfort
1932Trimdon6Joe ChildsJoseph Lawson
1933Orpen5Dick PerrymanFrank Butters
1934Within-the-Law5W. WellsJ. Cannon
1935Felicitation5Freddie FoxFrank Butters
1936Valerius5Tommy WestonJoseph Lawson
1937Silversol4Billy NevettMatthew Peacock
1938Suzerain5Bill RickabyTed Leader
1939Finis4Harry WraggOssie Bell
1940no race 1940–44
1945Kingstone3Doug SmithCecil Boyd-Rochfort
1946Stirling Castle4Eph SmithJoseph Lawson
1947No Orchids4Harry BlackshawM. Everitt
1948Whiteway4Bill EvansNorman Bertie
1949Woodburn4Bill RickabyCharles Elsey
1950Miraculous Atom6Billy NevettSam Hall
1951Orderly Ann5A. CarsonTommy Shedden
1952Eastern Emperor4Bill RickabyJack Jarvis
1953Childe Harold4Jack BraceBill Dutton
1954Premonition4Harry CarrCecil Boyd-Rochfort
1955By Thunder!4Wally SwinburnSam Armstrong
1956Romany Air5Bill RickabyReginald Day
1957Souverlone4Joe SimeHarry Peacock
1958Brioche4Edgar BrittCharles Elsey
1959Cutter4Manny MercerJohn Oxley3:59.60
1960Dickens4Harry CarrCecil Boyd-Rochfort3:28.00
1961Pandofell4Lester PiggottFreddie Maxwell
1962Sagacity4Harry CarrCecil Boyd-Rochfort3:43.30
1963Honour Bound5Doug SmithFred Rimell
1964Raise You Ten4Harry CarrCecil Boyd-Rochfort
1965Apprentice5Stan ClaytonCecil Boyd-Rochfort3:36.00
1966Aunt Edith4Lester PiggottNoel Murless3:21.60
1967Salvo4Ron HutchinsonHarry Wragg3:19.00
1968Sweet Story6Jimmy EtheringtonDick Peacock
1969Quartette5Russ MaddockTommy Gosling
1970Rangong5Sandy BarclayNoel Murless
1971Alto Volante4Brian TaylorFreddie Maxwell3:00.50
1972Knockroe4Lester PiggottPeter Nelson
1973Celtic Cone6Greville StarkeyFrank Cundell2:58.20
1974Buoy4Joe MercerDick Hern2:56.40
1975Riboson4Joe MercerDick Hern3:06.70
1976Bruni4Lester PiggottRyan Price3:06.40
1977Bright Finish4Lester PiggottJeremy Tree3:05.90
1978Smuggler5Willie CarsonDick Hern2:56.30
1979Pragmatic4John ReidFulke Johnson Houghton3:07.90
1980Noble Saint4Lester PiggottRobert Armstrong2:56.00
1981Ardross5Lester PiggottHenry Cecil3:08.30
1982Ardross6Lester PiggottHenry Cecil
1983Line Slinger4Edward HideBill Elsey3:19.40
1984Band4Willie CarsonDick Hern2:57.20
1985Ilium4Richard HillsHarry Thomson Jones3:05.40
1986Eastern Mystic4Pat EdderyLuca Cumani3:12.26
1987Verd-Antique4Steve CauthenHenry Cecil3:08.89
1988Moon Madness5Pat EdderyJohn Dunlop3:00.51
1989Mountain Kingdom5Steve CauthenClive Brittain2:52.92
1990Braashee4Michael RobertsAlec Stewart2:56.79
1991Arzanni4Frankie DettoriLuca Cumani2:57.94
1992Rock Hopper5Pat EdderyMichael Stoute2:59.91
1993Assessor4Richard QuinnRichard Hannon Sr.2:59.23
1994Key to My Heart4John ReidDudley Moffatt2:55.87
1995Moonax4Pat EdderySaeed bin Suroor2:58.89
1996Classic Cliche4Michael KinaneSaeed bin Suroor2:52.77
1997Celeric5Pat EdderyDavid Morley2:59.39
1998Busy Flight5Michael HillsBarry Hills3:04.02
1999Churlish Charm4Richard HughesRichard Hannon Sr.3:05.61
2000Kayf Tara6Frankie DettoriSaeed bin Suroor2:55.06
2001Marienbard4Frankie DettoriSaeed bin Suroor2:57.30
2002Zindabad6Kevin DarleyMark Johnston2:54.90
2003Mamool4Frankie DettoriSaeed bin Suroor2:52.54
2004Millenary7Richard QuinnJohn Dunlop3:01.61
2005Franklins Gardens5Darryll HollandMark Tompkins3:02.78
2006Percussionist5Darryll HollandHoward Johnson3:12.41
2007Sergeant Cecil8Jimmy FortuneRod Millman2:59.63
2008Geordieland7Shane KellyJamie Osborne3:02.47
2009Ask6Ryan MooreSir Michael Stoute3:05.36
2010Manifest4Tom QueallyHenry Cecil2:58.99
2011Duncan6William BuickJohn Gosden2:58.33
2012Red Cadeaux6Tom McLaughlinEd Dunlop3:02.89
2013Glen's Diamond5Tony HamiltonRichard Fahey3:01.39
2014Gospel Choir5Ryan MooreSir Michael Stoute3:00.36
2015Snow Sky4Ryan MooreSir Michael Stoute2:57.64
2016Clever Cookie8P. J. McDonaldPeter Niven3:01.12
2017Dartmouth5Ryan MooreSir Michael Stoute3:01.90
2018Stradivarius4Frankie DettoriJohn Gosden2:55.15
2019Stradivarius5Frankie DettoriJohn Gosden3:01.21
no race 2020 [b]
2021Spanish Mission5William BuickAndrew Balding2:59.56
2022Stradivarius8Frankie DettoriJohn and Thady Gosden2:58.33
2023Giavellotto4Andrea AtzeniMarco Botti2:56.79

Famous Yorkshire Cup Winners

The Yorkshire Cup was originally run as a handicap and did not become a conditions event until after the war. It was given Group 2 status in 1971 and became part of the British Champions Series in 2011.

The Yorkshire Cup was won by popular stayers like Buoy (1974), Bruni (1976) and Smuggler (1978) in the seventies. Henry Cecil trained Ardross to become the first dual winner of the race in 1981 and 1982. He was famous for his duels with Le Moss and proved his versatility when only losing by a head to Akiyda in the 1982 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1981 and 1982 as well as the 1981 Goodwood Cup and 1982 Doncaster Cup.

This race is an obvious target for former St Leger winners. Moon Madness (1988), Moonax (1995) and Classic Cliché (1996) are among those horses to have won both races. Classic Cliché won the Dante Stakes at York and finished fourth to Celtic Swing in the French Derby. He won the Ascot Gold Cup in 1996 and the Prix Kergorlay in 1997.

2001 winner Marienbard won three successive Group 1 races in Germany for Godolphin in 2002. He then produced a career-best to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, beating Sulamani and High Chaparral. One of the most popular winners of this event was Red Cadeaux in 2012. Ed Dunlop’s chestnut is probably more fondly remembered in Australia after he finished runner-up in the Melbourne Cup in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The globetrotting stayer earned almost £5 million in prize money but tragically suffered an injury in the 2015 Melbourne Cup from which he never recovered.

Stradivarius won this race in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 race was lost to the pandemic and he was campaigned at shorter distances in 2021. John Gosden sent him back up in trip for the Cup races in 2022 and he duly added a record third Yorkshire Cup in the hands of Frankie Dettori. He was eventually retired with almost £3.5 million in career earnings plus £2 million in bonuses. His other career victories included three Ascot Gold Cups, four Goodwood Cups and two Doncaster Cups.

Key Yorkshire Cup Trials

The Yorkshire Cup can be the starting point for Ascot Gold Cup hopefuls. Three of the last eleven winners made their seasonal debut here after ending last season in the Long Distance Cup at Ascot. It is also a target for St Leger winners kept in training as four-year-olds with a view to tackling the big Cup races.

Six of the last eleven winners went from York to Royal Ascot to contest the Gold Cup on their next outing. Stradivarius won both races in 2018 and 2019 and was third at Ascot when attempting the same big race double in 2022. Snow Sky (2015) successfully dropped back in distance to win the Hardwicke Stakes at the Royal meeting while Gospel Choir (2014) won the Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket next time out.

There have been five successful favourites in the past eleven renewals of the Yorkshire Cup. Gospel Choir returned at 7-2 for Sir Michael Stoute in 2014 and he also trained Her Majesty The Queen’s Dartmouth to win as the 11-4 favourite in 2017. The other three occasions when the favourite obliged were provided by Stradivarius (2018, 2019 and 2022).

The only shock result during recent years came in 2013 when Glen’s Diamond won at 25-1. He was trained locally by Richard Fahey and ridden by Tony Hamilton. He was having his first outing for 244 days but made most of the running to repel French raider Top Trip by a nose with Royal Diamond back in third place. Horses aged four and five generally do best in this race, although Sergeant Cecil (2007) and Stradivarius (2022) did manage to win at the age of eight.

Yorkshire Cup – Top Trainers and Jockeys

The most successful trainer in the history of the Yorkshire Cup is Cecil Boyd-Rochfort who won it seven times between 1931 and 1965. The last four came in a six-year spell of dominating the stayers’ division from 1960 to 1965. Sir Michael Stoute has trained the winner of the Yorkshire Cup on five occasions; Rock Hopper (1992), Ask (2009), Gospel Choir (2014), Snow Sky (2015) and Dartmouth (2017).

Lester Piggott leads the all-time jockey standings with eight winners; Pandofell (1961), Aunt Edith (1966), Knockroe (1972), Bruni (1976), Bright Finish (1977), Noble Saint (1980) and Ardross (1981, 1982). The three victories aboard Stradivarius have contributed to a total seven winners in the race for Frankie Dettori. His others came aboard Arzanni (1991), Kayf Tara (2000), Marienbard (2001) and Mamool (2003).

Betting on the Yorkshire Cup

The Yorkshire Cup heralds the start of big Cup races for the summer season with the winner invariably Ascot-bound. There are often some established stars in the field matched against younger rivals who were contesting the Classic races as three-year-olds. The form book can usually be relied upon in the Yorkshire Cup with shock results few and far between.

Yorkshire Cup Previous Result

Popular Questions

Who won the 2021 Yorkshire Cup?

The winner of the 2021 Yorkshire Cup was Spanish Mission.

Where is the Yorkshire Cup run?

The Yorkshire Cup is held at York Racecourse.

When is the Yorkshire Cup run?

The Yorkshire Cup is held in May.

What distance is the Yorkshire Cup?

The Yorkshire Cup is 1 mile, 5 furlongs, and 188 yards long.

Summary of Yorkshire Cup

Thank you for checking out our Yorkshire Cup guide.

The Yorkshire Cup is run on Day 3 of the Dante Festival which is the same day as the Marygate Fillies’ Stakes and the Michael Seely Memorial Stakes and the day after the Dante Stakes.

Check out the Dante Festival Free Bets if you would like to bet on the 2024 York Dante Festival.

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

Here are all the related posts for the 2024 York Dante Festival.