Nick Cheyne, Ascot's director of racing, commented: "We have always had group I races between a mile and two-and-a-half miles at the royal meeting so being able to stage a championship sprint as well is a tremendous boost and completes the portfolio."
Britain's Ascot Racecourse has been given Group I status for its six-furlong Cork & Orrery Stakes at the Royal meeting in June which is being extended to five days for this year only to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee.The sprint will be permanently re-named the Golden Jubilee Stakes and the prize money is being more than doubled to £250,000. This year it will be run on the final day, Saturday, June 22. Harmonic Way won last year's Cork & Orrery Stakes when it was a group II race.There will now be a group I race on all five days of the royal meeting and total prize money rises to £3,041,000, compared to the £2,578,500 offered last year.