The Sagaro Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile 7 furlongs and 209 yards () at Ascot in late April or early May.
History The event was formerly known as the Paradise Stakes, and it was originally held at Hurst Park. For a period it was contested by three-year-olds over 1¼ miles. It was later a race for older horses over 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 66 yards.
The Paradise Stakes continued to be staged at Hurst Park until 1962. It was transferred to Ascot in 1963, and temporarily switched to Newbury in 1964.
The race was renamed the Sagaro Stakes in 1978. It was named after Sagaro, the winner of Ascot's Gold Cup in each of the preceding three seasons.
The Sagaro Stakes was given Group 3 status in 1983. That year's edition was abandoned due to waterlogging, so it was first run as a Group race in 1984.
Since 2019 the official title has indicated that the race should be considered as a trial for the Ascot Gold Cup, run at the Royal Meeting at the same course (but a half mile further) in June.
Several winners of the Sagaro Stakes have won the Gold Cup in the same season. The most recent was Estimate in 2013.
The title Paradise Stakes is now assigned to a different race at Ascot, a 1-mile Listed event for older horses.
Records Most successful horse since 1978 (2 wins): Nicholas Bill – 1979, 1981 Teamster – 1990, 1991 Double Trigger – 1995, 1996 Orchestra Stall – 1997, 2000 Alcazar – 2003, 2005 Mizzou – 2015, 2016 Coltrane - 2023, 2024
Leading jockey since 1978 (5 wins): Frankie Dettori – Al Mutahm (1992), Give Notice (2002), Colour Vision (2012), Tac De Boistron (2014), Stradivarius (2021)
Leading trainer since 1978 (6 wins): Sir Michael Stoute – Shangamuzo (1978), Teamster (1990, 1991), Cover Up (2006), Patkai (2009), Estimate (2013)
Winners since 1978 Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Time 1978 Shangamuzo 5 Greville Starkey Michael Stoute 3:52.57 1979 Nicholas Bill 4 Philip Waldron Henry Candy 3:51.67 1980 Pragmatic 5 John Reid Fulke Johnson Houghton 3:32.88 1981 Nicholas Bill 6 Philip Waldron Henry Candy 3:47.93 1982 Castelnau 4 Pat Eddery Paul Cole 3:31.23 1983Abandoned due to waterlogging 1984 Gildoran 4 Steve Cauthen Barry Hills 3:31.43 1985 Longboat 4 Willie Carson Dick Hern 3:28.78 1986 Valuable Witness 6 Pat Eddery Jeremy Tree 3:47.41 1987 Sadeem 4 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 3:25.29 1988 Sergeyevich 4 Willie Carson John Dunlop 3:35.51 1989 Travel Mystery 6 Ray Cochrane Martin Pipe 3:31.07 1990 Teamster 4 Pat Eddery Michael Stoute 3:35.58 1991 Teamster 5 Pat Eddery Michael Stoute 3:42.19 1992 Al Mutahm 4 Frankie Dettori Jim Old 3:39.36 1993 Roll a Dollar 7 Brian Rouse David Elsworth 3:42.36 1994 Safety in Numbers 4 Kevin Darley Lady Herries 3:35.88 1995 Double Trigger 4 Jason Weaver Mark Johnston 3:28.90 1996 Double Trigger 5 Jason Weaver Mark Johnston 3:27.64 1997 Orchestra Stall 5 Richard Quinn John Dunlop 3:29.69 1998 Persian Punch 5 Kieren Fallon David Elsworth 3:36.23 1999 Celeric 7 Richard Quinn John Dunlop 3:37.46 2000 Orchestra Stall 8 Kevin Darley John Dunlop 3:40.69 2001 Solo Mio 7 Michael Kinane Amanda Perrett 3:23.75 2002 Give Notice 5 Frankie Dettori John Dunlop 3:39.19 2003 Alcazar 8 Micky Fenton Hughie Morrison 3:36.20 2004 Risk Seeker 4 Dominique Boeuf Élie Lellouche 3:49.97 2005 Alcazar 10 Micky Fenton Hughie Morrison 3:43.51 2006 Cover Up 9 Kieren Fallon Sir Michael Stoute 3:34.68 2007 Tungsten Strike 6 Darryll Holland Amanda Perrett 3:25.52 2008 Shipmaster 5 Richard Hughes Alan King 3:42.22 2009 Patkai 4 Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute 3:30.23 2010 Illustrious Blue 7 Jim Crowley William Knight 3:29.08 2011 Askar Tau 6 George Baker Marcus Tregoning 3:29.42 2012 Colour Vision 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor 3:21.50 2013 Estimate 4 Ryan Moore Sir Michael Stoute 3:28.32 2014 Tac De Boistron 7 Frankie Dettori Marco Botti 3:34.07 2015 Mizzou 4 William Buick Luca Cumani 3:24.12 2016 Mizzou 5 Andrea Atzeni Luca Cumani 3:30.40 2017 Sweet Selection 5 Silvestre de Sousa Hughie Morrison 3:30.23 2018 Torcedor 6 Colm O'Donoghue Jessica Harrington 3:36.51 2019 Dee Ex Bee 4 William Buick Mark Johnston 3:24.97 2020 Nayef Road 4 Ben Curtis Mark Johnston 3:34.63 2021 Stradivarius 7 Frankie Dettori John and Thady Gosden 3:30.75 2022 Princess Zoe 7 Joey Sheridan Tony Mullins 3:26.41 2023 Coltrane 6 Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding 3:37.52 2024 Coltrane 7 Oisin Murphy Andrew Balding 3:31.42 2025 Yashin 6 Callum Shepherd Michael Bell 3:34.67 2026 Sweet William 7 Robert Havlin John & Thady Gosden 3:24.97
Paradise Stakes
1920: Comrade 1922: Blandford 1923: Portumna 1924: Frater 1925: Dignity 1926: Legatee 1927: Vanoc 1928: Lodore 1929: Horus 1930: Rear Admiral 1931: Hill Cat 1932: Robber Chief 1933: Town Crier 1934: Wychwood Abbot 1935: Whataday 1936: Noble Turk 1937: Lazybones 1938: Knole Star 1939: Time Step 1948: Mombasa 1949: Flush Royal 1951: Kelling 1955: Entente Cordiale 1956: Nucleus 1957: China Rock 1958: Sway 1959: Vacarme 1960: Parthia 1961: High Hat 1962: Pinzon 1963: Orchardist 1964: Oakville 1965: Anselmo 1966: Vivat Rex 1967: Mehari 1968: Parbury 1969: Fortissimo 1970: Precipice Wood 1971: Rock Roi 1972: Erimo Hawk 1973: Hakodate 1974: Proverb 1975: Night in Town 1976: Marco Ricci 1977: Centrocon
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References
Paris-Turf: , , , , Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galopp-sieger.de – Sagaro Stakes (ex Paradise Stakes). ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Sagaro Stakes (2019). pedigreequery.com – Sagaro Stakes – Ascot.