The week after Newmarket stages the Cambridgeshire Meeting, Flat racing HQ opens it's gates again for Sun Chariot Stakes day. The namesake race on the card is the Sun Chariot Stakes, a Group One race run over a mile for fillies and mares.
The Sun Chariot was first run on the Rowley Mile in 1966. Many top fillies and mares have won this lucrative race, and a quality field is guaranteed to line up at Newmarket every season.
Sun Chariot Stakes Key Facts
Date
Saturday 7th October, 2023
Track
Newmarket (Rowley Mile)
Distance
1m
Status
Group 1
Age
3YO+
Sex
Fillies and Mares
First Prize
£141k
Sun Chariot Stakes Odds
You'll find the latest betting for the Sun Chariot Stakes in an article at the head of this page.
Sun Chariot Stakes Tips
Once the field has been confirmed, you'll also find our free guide to the Sun Chariot Stakes at the top of the page.
Sun Chariot Stakes Day Card
The Sun Chariot Stakes is the only feature on the Newmarket card in October.
Race No.
Race Name
1
Novice Stakes
2
Class 2 Handicap
3
Sun Chariot Stakes
4
Novice Stakes
5
Class 2 Stakes
6
Fillies' Handicap
7
Middle Distance Handicap
8
Class 2 Handicap
Sun Chariot Stakes History
Named in honour of fillies' Triple Crown winner Sun Chariot, which was successful in 1942 when the fillies' races were staged at Newmarket due to the war.
Established in 1966, the Sun Chariot Stakes was elevated to Group 1 status in 2004 when being taken out by Attraction for Mark Johnson and jockey Kevin Darley.
Formerly held on the final day of the Cambridgeshire meeting, it was moved to a week later in 2014 and is now a stand-alone Group 1 in October.
It has been won by many champion fillies and mares, but Sahpresa stands out with three consecutive wins from 2009-2011.
The French-trained runner dominated the race for three years and it's unlikely punters will ever see that feat repeated.
Lester Piggott won six times as a jockey and Luca Cumani won six times as a trainer, with his most recent win coming in 1998 with Kissogram.
The more recent times the Sun Chariot Stakes has been dominated by jockey Ryan Moore, who won with Integral in 2014, Alice Springs in 2016 and Roly Poly in 2017.
Both Alice Springs and Roly Poly were trained by Aidan O'Brien.
Karl Burke's popular filly, Laurens beat Aidan O'Brien's Happily to win the 2018 Sun Chariot Stakes. Former Guineas winner, Billesdon Brook came out victorious the following year, with Nazeef handing John Gosden an overdue second Sun Chariot victory in 2020.
Sun Chariot Stakes betting guide
There was a time when the Sun Chariot Stakes would produce an outside result, but the race has only grown in popularity and the well-fancied runners have shown up in recent times.
There have been four favourites win from the last five years, which includes the likes of Alice Springs, Esoterique and Sky Lantern.
The only winner in the last five years not to be the favourite was Roly Poly, which paid 4/1 with bookmakers.
Sahpresa won its first Sun Chariot Stakes in 2009 at odds of 16/1 but paid only 9/2 when winning for a second time.
Bookmakers had to run her as the favourite in 2011 and she did the job nicely at odds of 13/8.
In all three of Sahpresa's wins, she had won only once prior that season.
Prior to Sahpresa's wins there were some upset results. Spinning Queen and Majestic Roi both paid double-figure odds, but the trend has definitely changed since then.
