The oldest handicap race at Royal Ascot is the Wokingham Stakes, and it takes place today (Saturday) at 5.05pm.
The inaugural Wokingham race took place in 1813. The famous sprint takes place over six furlongs, which is three quarters of a mile.
The attraction of a handicap as a betting medium was a prime reason for the Wokingham’s initial success.
Interestingly, a horse called Wokingham won the race in 1881 and 1882.
Notable winners include Fayr Jag in 2003, who dead-heated with Ratio before returning to Royal Ascot a year later to capture the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
In 2010, Laddies Poker Two had been off the racecourse for 610 days before scoring emphatically for trainer Jeremy Noseda.
Rohaan, in 2021 and 2022) is one of only two horses, alongside Selhurstpark Flyer in 1997 and 1998, to win multiple editions of the Wokingham in the post-war period.
A total of 11 favourites or joint favourites have been successful in the 63 runnings of the Wokingham Stakes.
Last year saw Saint Lawrence win the Wokingham, under jockey Hollie Doyle, for trainer Archie Watson.
