Royal Ascot's Cork & Orrery Stakes Upgraded; Will Be Renamed

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.

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."