The Molecomb Stakes is a Group 3 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 5 furlongs (1,006 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.
History The event is named after Molecomb, a house on the Goodwood Estate originally built by the 3rd Duke of Richmond for his sister Lady Sarah Lennox. The race was established in 1829, and the inaugural running was won by Convert.
The Molecomb Stakes was originally open to two-year-olds of either gender, but it was restricted to fillies in 1932. It was reopened to colts and geldings in 1981.
The race is currently held on the second day of the five-day Glorious Goodwood meeting.
Records
Leading jockey (8 wins): Lester Piggott – Abelia (1957), Smooth (1966), Flying Legs (1968), Lady Rowley (1974), Hayloft (1975), Marwell (1980), Prowess Prince (1981), Precocious (1983)
Leading trainer (7 wins): John Barham Day – Waresti (1834), Grey Momus (1837), Wapiti (1838), Crucifix (1839), The Ugly Buck (1843), Nutbourne (1844), Elmsthorpe (1852) John Porter – Red Hazard (1877), St Blaise (1882), Luminary (1884), Freedom (1886), Friar's Balsam (1887), La Fleche (1891), Rampion (1895)
Winners since 1900 Year Winner Jockey Trainer Time 1900 Princess Melton Lester Reiff Jarvis 1901 filly by Melton Skeets Martin Gilbert 1902 Quintessence Herbert Randall James Chandler 1:15.00 1903 Islesman 1904 Vedas George McCall William Robinson 1905 Colonia Herbert Jones William Robinson 1906 My Pet II Danny Maher Dawson Waugh 1907 Sea King Billy Higgs Tom Waugh 1908 Perdiccas Billy Higgs Sam Darling 1909 Tressady Billy Higgs Sam Darling 1910 Beaurepaire Herbert Jones Dawson Waugh 1911 White Star Frank Wootton Charles Morton 1912 Rock Flint Danny Maher George Blackwell 1:16.00 1913 Black Jester Frank Wootton Charles Morton 1914 Redfern Steve Donoghue Alec Taylor Jr. 1:13.80 1915–18 no race 1919 Tetratema Bernard Carslake Atty Persse 1920 Trash Joe Childs Alec Taylor Jr. 1921 Lembach Frank Bullock Reg Day 1:16.80 1922 Town Guard George Archibald Sr. Peter Gilpin 1923 Mumtaz Mahal George Hulme Richard Dawson 1:15.00 1924 Priory Park Frank Bullock Clancy 1:14.20 1925 Review Order Harry Beasley Jr. Atty Persse 1:16.40 1926 Shian Mor Henri Jelliss Basil Jarvis 1:14.00 1927 Black Watch Sir Gordon Richards Peter Gilpin 1:15.20 1928 Belle Mere Jack Leach Felix Leach 1:13.20 1929 Diolite Cecil Ray Fred Templeman 1:13.80 1930 Jacopo Joe Childs Cecil Boyd-Rochfort 1:14.20 1931 Safe Return Freddie Fox Fred Darling 1:17.20 1932 Betty Bobby Dick Joseph Lawson 1:05.20 1933 Light Brocade Bernard Carslake Frank Butters 1:01.00 1934 La Gaiete Richard Perryman Frank Butters 1:01.00 1935 Crosspatch Tommy Lowrey Basil Jarvis 1:00.60 1936 Bright Beam Sir Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:04.80 1937 Ann Of Austria Charlie Smirke Frank Butters 0:59.00 1938 Money Down Sir Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:00.20 1939 Allure Michael Beary Victor Smyth 1:01.00 1940 no race 1941 Feberion Richard Perryman Joseph Lawson 1:20.20 1942–45 no race 1946 Rule Britannia Harry Wragg Walter Earl 1:02.20 1947 Phaetonia Sir Gordon Richards Fred Darling 1:00.00 1948 Integrity Charlie Smirke Jack Leach 1:00.80 1949 Diableretta Sir Gordon Richards Frank Butters 1:01.00 1950 Crawley Beauty Sir Gordon Richards Noel Murless 1:01.00 1951 Tayeh Sir Gordon Richards Marcus Marsh 1:00.60 1952 Tessa Gillian Bill Rickaby Jack Jarvis 1:01.00 1953 Urshalim Charlie Smirke Marcus Marsh 1:01.60 1954 Brave Venture Bill Rickaby Jack Jarvis 1:05.60 1955 Palariva Roger Poincelet Alec Head 0:58.40 1956 Pharsalia Willie Snaith Humphrey Cottrill 1:01.00 1957 Abelia Lester Piggott Noel Murless 1:00.40 1958 Krakenwake Scobie Breasley Norman Bertie 1:01.60 1959 Queensbury Eph Smith John Waugh 0:59.20 1960 Cynara Joe Mercer Harry Wragg 1:00.60 1961 La Tendresse Ron Hutchinson Paddy Prendergast 0:59.40 1962 Royal Indiscretion Garnet Bougoure Paddy Prendergast 0:59.60 1963 Crimea II Harry Carr Cecil Boyd-Rochfort 0:58.20 1964 Regal Pink Garnet Bougoure Paddy Prendergast 1:00.40 1965 Reet Lass Brian Connorton Snowy Gray 1:02.80 1966 Smooth Lester Piggott Fulke Johnson Houghton 1:02.00 1967 Lowna George Moore Noel Murless 1:00.00 1968 Flying Legs Lester Piggott Michael Jarvis 0:59.20 1969 Mange Tout Brian Foy Ken Cundell 1:01.20 1970 Cawston's Pride Brian Taylor Freddie Maxwell 1:01.70 1971 Pert Lassie Greville Starkey Henry Cecil 1:01.08 1972 Miss Slip Jimmy Lindley Bill Marshall 1:02.34 1973 Bitty Girl Bruce Raymond Michael Jarvis 0:59.09 1974 Lady Rowley Lester Piggott Neville Callaghan 1:00.19 1975 Hayloft Lester Piggott Fulke Johnson Houghton 0:59.59 1976 Be Easy Ron Hutchinson John Dunlop 1:01.02 1977 Hatta Ron Hutchinson John Dunlop 1:01.52 1978 Greenland Park H White William Hastings-Bass 0:59.75 1979 Keep Off Willie Carson John Dunlop 1:01.58 1980 Marwell Lester Piggott Michael Stoute 0:58.83 1981 Prowess Prince Lester Piggott Eric Eldin 0:59.86 1982 Kafu Greville Starkey Guy Harwood 0:58.07 1983 Precocious Lester Piggott Henry Cecil 0:58.98 1984 Absent Chimes Philip Robinson David Thom 0:59.45 1985 Hotbee Tyrone Williams John Bridger 1:02.19 1986 Gemini Fire Steve Cauthen Paul Felgate 1:01.15 1987 Classic Ruler John Reid Charlie Nelson 0:59.33 1988 Almost Blue John Carroll Jack Berry 1:01.16 1989 Haunting Beauty Pat Eddery Jimmy Etherington 1:00.15 1990 Poets Cove John Reid Wally Carter 0:57.53 1991 Sahara Star John Reid Michael Stoute 0:59.14 1992 Millyant Michael Roberts Rae Guest 0:57.58 1993 Risky Walter Swinburn Richard Hannon Sr. 1:00.77 1994 Hoh Magic Michael Hills Michael Bell 0:57.75 1995 Almaty Kevin Darley Con Collins 0:58.17 1996 Carmine Lake John Reid Peter Chapple-Hyam 0:58.32 1997 Lady Alexander Pat Shanahan Con Collins 1:00.12 1998 Inya Lake Richard Quinn Mick Channon 0:59.96 1999 Misty Miss John Egan David Evans 0:58.37 2000 Misty Eyed Lee Newman Nerys Dutfield 0:58.48 2001 Whitbarrow Basil Marcus Rod Millman 0:58.25 2002 Wunders Dream Micky Fenton James Given 0:58.28 2003 Majestic Missile Michael Hills William Haggas 0:58.83 2004 Tournedos Ted Durcan Mick Channon 0:58.54 2005 Strike Up the Band Adrian Nicholls David Nicholls 0:58.36 2006 Enticing Michael Hills William Haggas 0:59.19 2007 Fleeting Spirit Johnny Murtagh Jeremy Noseda 0:57.96 2008 Finjaan Richard Hills Marcus Tregoning 0:57.88 2009 Monsieur Chevalier Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 0:58.24 2010 Zebedee Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. 0:58.49 2011 Requinto Wayne Lordan David Wachman 0:57.51 2012 Bungle Inthejungle Martin Harley Mick Channon 0:58.22 2013 Brown Sugar Pat Dobbs Richard Hannon Sr. 0:59.30 2014 Cotai Glory George Baker Charles Hills 0:57.30 2015 Kachy Richard Kingscote Tom Dascombe 0:58.55 2016 Yalta James Doyle Mark Johnston 0:57.14 2017 Havana Grey P. J. McDonald Karl Burke 1:00.89 2018 Rumble Inthejungle Tom Queally Richard Spencer 0:58.22 2019 Liberty Beach Jason Hart John Quinn 0:58.88 2020 Steel Bull Colin Keane Michael O'Callaghan 0:58.59 2021 Armor Ryan Moore Richard Hannon Jr. 0:59.26 2022 Trillium Pat Dobbs Richard Hannon Jr. 0:56.58 2023 Big Evs Jason Hart Michael Appleby 1:01.27 2024 Big Mojo Silvestre de Sousa Michael Appleby 0:56.13 2025 Lady Iman Ryan Moore Ger Lyons 0:57.16 2026 Pershaada Sean Levey Richard Hannon Jr. 0:56.82
Earlier winners
1829: Convert 1830: filly by Emilius 1831–32: no race 1833: Defensive 1834: Waresti 1835: Elis 1836: Defender 1837: Grey Momus 1838: Wapiti 1839: Crucifix 1840: Decision 1841: Barrier 1842: The Caster 1843: The Ugly Buck 1844: Nutbourne 1845: Sting 1846: Planet 1847: Glendower 1848: Mr Milner 1849: William the Conqueror 1850: Teddington 1851: Glenluce 1852: Elmsthorpe 1853: Andover 1854: Polydore 1855: Enchanter 1856: Lambourn 1857: The Lord of Lorn 1858: Merryman 1859: Buccaneer 1860: Diophantus 1861: Ace of Clubs 1862: colt by Lord of the Isles 1863: Fille de l'Air 1864: Koenig 1865: The Student 1866: Marksman 1867: Banditto 1868: Belladrum 1869: Mantilla 1870: General 1871: Vanderdecken 1872: Somerset 1873: Packington 1874: Craig Millar 1875: Red Cross Knight 1876: Shillelagh 1877: Red Hazard 1878: colt by Cambuscan 1879: Brotherhood 1880: Paw Paw 1881: Adrastus 1882: St Blaise 1883: La Trappe 1884: Luminary 1885: The Devil to Pay 1886: Freedom 1887: Friar's Balsam 1888: Seclusion 1889: Le Nord 1890: Cleator 1891: La Fleche 1892: Harbinger 1893: La Nievre 1894: Bentworth 1895: Rampion 1896: Galtee More 1897: Royal Footstep 1898: Vara 1899: O'Donovan Rossa
See also Horse racing in Great Britain List of British flat horse races
References Paris-Turf: , , , , Racing Post: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
galopp-sieger.de – Molecomb Stakes. ifhaonline.org – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Molecomb Stakes (2019). pedigreequery.com – Molecomb Stakes – Goodwood.