Royal Ascot meet gets new Group 1 race for 3-year-olds

The 2015 Royal Ascot meeting will include a new Group 1 race for 3-year-olds worth $630,000, the racecourse announced Wednesday.

The yet-to-be-named six-furlong race will be run on the Friday of Royal Ascot race week and will take the place of the Buckingham Palace Stakes, a seven-furlong handicap. The title “Buckingham Palace Stakes” will be retained for a future race at the track.

As a result of the new Group 1 race, the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs at Royal Ascot will be limited to 4-year-olds and older horses. In the past, 3-year-olds were eligible for the race.

Ascot has two other Group 1 sprints races on its annual calendar – the King’s Stand Stakes over five furlongs at the Royal Ascot meeting and the British Champions Stakes over six furlongs in October. The British Champions Stakes has been upgraded from Group 2 to Group 1 status for 2015. The King’s Stand Stakes will remain open for 3-year-olds and older.