Minstrel Stakes
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| Class | Group 2 |
|---|---|
| Location | Curragh Racecourse County Kildare, Ireland |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | Robert Ng (as Romanised[1]) |
| Website | Curragh |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 7f (1,408 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-hand elbow |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and up |
| Weight | 9 st 1 lb (3yo); 9 st 8 lb (4yo+) Allowances 3 lb for fillies and mares Penalties 3 lb for G1 winners * * since 1 November last year |
| Purse | €111,600 (2022) 1st: €70,800 |
| 2025 | ||
| Diego Velazquez | East Hampton | Mutasarref |
| Previous years | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ||
| Poet Master | Lord Massusus | Mutasarref |
| 2022 | ||
| Order Of Australia | Pearls Galore | Dr Zempf |
| 2021 | ||
| Order Of Australia | Njord | Power Under Me |
The Minstrel Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Ireland open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
The event is named after The Minstrel, a successful Irish-trained racehorse in the 1970s. It was formerly held at Phoenix Park in late April or early May, and it used to be contested by three-year-olds over a mile. For a period it was classed at Listed level.[citation needed]
The race was transferred to the Curragh and switched to July in 1991, and at this point it was opened to older horses. It was promoted to Group 3 status in 1996, and cut to 7 furlongs in 2001. The minimum age of participating horses was raised to four in 2002, and three-year-olds were re-admitted in 2007. It was upgraded to Group 2 level from the 2016 running.[2]
Most successful horse since 1988 (2 wins):
- Ramooz – 1997, 1999
- Gordon Lord Byron - 2015, 2016
- Romanised - 2019, 2020
- Order of Australia - 2021, 2022
Leading jockey since 1988 (6 wins):
- Michael Kinane – Executive Perk (1988), Twilight Agenda (1989), Go and Go (1990), Asema (1993), King Charlemagne (2001), Caradak (2005)
Leading trainer since 1988 (8 wins):
- Aidan O'Brien - Wandering Thoughts (1994), King Charlemagne (2001), Air Chief Marshal (2010), Darwin (2013), Spirit Of Valor (2017), Order of Australia (2021,2022), Diego Velazquez (2025)