Nowadays, the Hampton Court Stakes is a Group 3 contest run over a mile and a quarter and open to three-year-olds of both sexes. The race was originally part of the ‘Ascot Heath’ meeting on the Saturday following Royal Ascot, which, until 2002, was held over four days rather than five. Variously known as the Churchill Stakes, the New Stakes and, for sponsorship purposes, as the Milcar Conditions Stakes, the race was upgraded to Listed status in 1999, shortened from its original distance of a mile and a half the following year and upgraded again, to Group 3 status, in 2011. That year, it was temporarily renamed The Tercentenary Stakes, before reverting to its current title in 2017.
In its current guise, the Hampton Court Stakes is worth £150,000 and scheduled as the penultimate race on the fourth day of Royal Ascot, otherwise known as Ladies’ Day. The late, great pair of Sir Henry Cecil and Lester Piggott remain the leading trainer and jockey, respectively, with six winners apiece. More recently, though, the Master of Ballydoyle, Aidan O’Brien, and his stable jockey, Ryan Moore, have been the ones to follow in the Hampton Court Stakes. O’Brien has saddled five winners, namely Moscow Ballet (2004), Indigo Cat (2005), Hunting Horn (2018), Russian Emperor (2020) and Trinity College (2025), the last three of which were ridden by Moore. Moore also rode Glass Harmonium (2009) and Cannock Chase (2014), both trained by Sir Michael Stoute, for a total of five winners in his own right.
In the last decade, the Hampton Court Stakes has proved ‘punter-friendly’, with two winning favourites, Mohaafeth (2021) and Trinity Collge (2025), and five winning second favourites in that peiod. Indeed, Waipiro, who was sent off 7/1 fourth-favourite in a field of 16 in 2023, has been the longest-priced winner of the race in recent years.