Champagne Gifts From Winning Owners

[Seasider]

In the early days of Doncaster’s Champagne Stakes the winning owner was required to give 72 bottles of champagne to the Doncaster Racing Club.

Furthermore, courtesy of Wikipedia:

“Queen of Trumps began her racing career at Holywell Hunt meeting in Flintshire, North Wales on 14 October 1834. Racing in the Champagne Stakes over half a mile she won from three opponents meaning that Mostyn (her owner), under the conditions of the race, was obliged to present two dozen bottles of champagne to the members of the local racing club.”

(Queen of Trumps was the first filly to achieve the Oaks/St Leger double in 1835. She would have finished her career with 11 from 11 but for suffering interference from an errant bulldog close home in the Scarborough Stakes.)

Anyway, I’m curious to know whether all races designated ‘Champagne Stakes’ originally demanded (or still demand) a gift of champagne from the winning owner.

Many thanks.

[Double Bank]

This has brought to mind a race for the fairer sex where the winner won their weight in something, but can’t think what it was. Sorry if that just sets another question rather than answering yours, which I don’t know the answer to.

[apracing]

DB,

That’s the Queen Mother Cup for lady riders at York – the winning jockey gets her weight in champagne. They set up an old fashioned set of balance scales in the paddock, or at least they did the last time I saw it done.

[Double Bank]

Thanks AP,

I remember the scales, but it’s many years since I’ve seen this on TV.

[Double Bank]

This question has just been read out on Will hill radio, was sent in by a guy called Jamie, Seasider? The pundits had no idea of the answer.

[Seasider]

DB – I’m not Jamie so it’s a bit of a coincidence his question arose so close on the heels of mine.

I did raise the subject on another forum a couple of years ago and it has lain dormant in the dark recesses of my brain ever since. Not to worry.

On the subject of non-monetary prizes for jockeys, those finishing in the first 3 in the Newmarket Town Plate apparently receive a clothing voucher and a box of sausages for their efforts. It’s not exactly champagne but at least it means the recipients will be well-dressed and well-fed. Until the sausages run out, that is.

[apracing]

On the subject of unusual prizes, Ian Carnaby and Dave Ashforth used to sponsor a seller at Brighton and the winning connections got a stick of Brighton rock and a copy of Brighton Rock.

And the winning trainer in the John Smiths Cup at York gets several cases of beer for his stable staff.

[Double Bank]

Seasider, the email was word for word as above, errant bulldog and all, so must have been from someone who lifted it from here.

[strawbear]

The winning rder of the Mumm melling chase used to get a crate of roll-on de-oderant

[Seasider]

DB – I guess nobody owns the rights to a particular question. At least, that’s what my solicitor just told me.

In any event it didn’t do any harm to widen the audience, even if an answer failed to materialise.

[Author]

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