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Big Race History: Celebration Mile

Events RSS / / 27 August 2009 /

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Kieren Fallon quite pleased to have won on Chic in 2004

Kieren Fallon quite pleased to have won on Chic in 2004

"Chic and Kieren Fallon jinked through the field from last to first to beat favourite Nayyir in a driving finish much to the jockey’s delight"

The Celebration Mile has been in the programme book in one guise or other since 1967. Several Guineas-winners feature in the roll call and there is also a close connection between the Group 2 event and the Group 1 Sussex Stakes. Malcolm Pannett delves into the statistics.

The race now known as the Celebration Mile started out as the Wills Mile. It was first run in 1967 with the spoils going to Jersey and Hungerford Stakes-winner St Chad who added to his haul by beating Reform and Irish 2000 Guineas-winner Atherstone Wood.

In the first 15 years four Classic winners obliged beginning with 1000 Guineas-winner Humble Duty (1970), who was followed by the 2000 Guineas-winners Brigadier Gerard (1971), Known Fact (1980) and To-Agori-Mou (1981).

During that period the name of the race changed three times becoming firstly the Goodwood Mile in1971, then the Waterford Crystal Mile in 1975 and finally the Celebration Mile in 1989.

In the mid 1990s the Classic brigade scored a further hat-trick with Irish 1000 Guineas-winner Mehthaaf (1994); 1000 Guineas-heroine Harayir (1995); and 2000 Guineas-winner Mark Of Esteem (1996).

The connection with the Sussex Stakes, run over the same course during the 'Glorious' meeting a few weeks earlier, started the second year the contest was run when dual-Hungerford Stakes-winner Jimmy Reppin beat Petingo before winning the Sussex Stakes the next season. Rousillon (1984) (see below), Distant Relative (1989) and Among Men (1997) did the same, while Humble Duty was the first to win both races in the same season - a feat also achieved by Brigadier Gerard, Sallust (1972) and Kris (1979).

Finishing second in the Sussex Stakes can also be a good form line for the Celebration Mile as exampled by Jacinth (1973); Free State (1976); To-Agori-Mou; Selkirk (1992); and most recently Raven's Pass (2008).

Other notable winners include Habitat (1969), who would be crowned that season's champion miler and who went on to sire 1989-winner Distant Relative; Milligram (1987) who had been second in the 1000 Guineas and the Irish version before going on to win the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes where she reversed placings with her Newmarket-conqueror Miesque; and Medicean (2000) who went on to win the next year's Eclipse and Lockinge.

There was no race in 1985. The 1979 race, won by Kris, was run at Ascot.

25 years ago - Another eventful race for the talented but frustrating Rousillon. Sent off at odds-on and reunited with Greville Starkey, who had just returned from the suspension meted out by the Stewards having been adjudged reckless when the pair were disqualified in the Sussex Stakes, it should have been a cakewalk. However the son of Riverman never travelled well and once gaining the advantage at the furlong pole struggled to just hold on by half a length to Prego.

10 years ago - Cape Cross, who arrived on the back of success in the Queen Anne Stakes when ridden by Gary Stevens, breezed home from odds-on favourite and stablemate Josr Algarhoud. This time it was John Reid in the plate as Cape Cross bowled along in front throughout. Frankie Dettori aboard Josr Algarhoud, the Gimcrack and Beeswing-winner, challenged a quarter of a mile from home but was seen off readily by a length and a half. This was recompense for Cape Cross who, when trained by John Gosden and ridden by Dettori, had been first past the post in the 1997 race but was disqualified and placed last for bumping his way through. The race was awarded to Among Men.

Five years ago - Classic Kieren Fallon as Chic, at 4-1, jinked through the field from last to first to beat favourite Nayyir in a driving finish much to the jockey's delight (see above). Sir Michael Stoute's daughter of Machiavellian had won the Hungerford Stakes two weeks earlier however the next season her preparation for the race was not as eye-catching as she could only finish a tame last of 12 in the Sussex Stakes. Nevertheless she repeated the dose getting up in the final stride, this time ridden by Ryan Moore, to beat Majors Cast and in doing so became the only dual winner so far.

Last year - After three second places in-a-row, twice behind Henrythenavigator, a welcome return to the winner's enclosure for Raven's Pass. The son of Elusive Quality relished the drop down to Group 2 company making all to comfortably dispatch Bankable by a length with a further nine back to Third Set. John Gosden's charge enjoyed the taste of victory and went on to complete a hat-trick back in Group 1s first in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and then finishing off with a glorious victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita gaining revenge on Henrythenavigator both times.

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