Norfolk Stakes

Breeders' Cup Challenge Series > Norfolk Stakes

Norfolk Stakes Race Facts

• Location: Ascot Racecourse, Ascot, England
• Inaugural Race: 1843
• Distance: 5/8ths of a mile (5 furlongs)
• Track Type: Straight, Turf
• Age Qualifications: Two Year Olds
• 2023 Purse: £110,000
• 2023 Race Date: Thursday, June 22^nd

2023 Norfolk Stakes Race Results

Exotic Payoffs:

• $1 Exacta (16-7): $$5,369.60
• $1 Trifecta (16-7-4): $25,166.00

Watch the 2023 Norfolk Stakes

Norfolk Stakes Race History

The Norfolk Stakes was established in 1843 and was originally called the New Stakes. It was renamed in 1973 to honor the 16th Duke of Norfolk, and became a Group 2 race in 2006. The Norfolk Stakes is staged on day 3 of the five day Royal Ascot meet in June, and the race is open to 2-year-olds at a distance of 1006 meters (5 furlongs).

The Norfolk Stakes attracts some of the best thoroughbred sprinters in Great Britain and Ireland. Arguably the finest racehorse to have taken the Norfolk was 2001 winner Johannesburg, who never lost a race as a 2-year-old and took four Group 1 races in his career.

Although the Norfolk Stakes is a rather frenetic and short race, a majority of winners have emerged from the first three in betting. However, the favourite underperforms by nearly 405 on the value index. A sound betting strategy may be to look for each-way value at the top of the market among horses likely to place, but priced above 4/1.

Jockey Lester Piggott won the race a record nine times over a 30-year span starting in the early 1960’s. Since 1984, just six sprinters have broken the 1 minute mark with Masta Plasta (2005) in :57.56, No Way Never (2013) in :58.80, Baitha Alga (2014) in :59.81, Waterloo Bridge (2015) in :59.98, Shang Shang Shang (2018) in :59.87, and Valiant Force (2023) in :59.75.

In 2018 the race was adding to the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, offering the winner an automatic bid to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Norfolk Stakes Past Winners