International Stakes: Date, venue, runners, history & more

The International Stakes is one of Ascot's major heritage handicaps run in midsummer outside of the Royal Meeting in June.

The race typically takes place in late July and is run over seven furlongs on Ascot's straight course, attracting large fields year upon year.

Many horses who have run at Royal Ascot in June often return for a crack at this valuable prize, with more than £77k on offer to the winner in 2024.

International Stakes date

The 2024 International Stakes will be run on Saturday 27th July, with a scheduled post time of 15.00.

International Stakes venue

The International Stakes is run at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England. Founded in 1711 by Queen Anne who, when riding out from Windsor Castle, came across a piece of land 'ideal for horses to gallop at full stretch' and thus Ascot Racecourse was born.

It is now one of the world's most famous racecourses, with the Royal Ascot meeting in mid-June the centrepiece of the Flat season in Britain.

The course stages a third of Britain's Group 1 races on the Flat, with British Champions Day in October another landmark on the calendar.

Ascot also stages racing over jumps between late October and March, with top level action including the Long Walk Hurdle and the Ascot Chase.

International Stakes history

This heritage handicap was inaugurated in 1998, with a stated desire to attract overseas runners to Ascot.

Crystal Castle scored for France in 2002 but the race has been mainly contested by British-based runners.

It is often a wide-open handicap, although the first 10 winners all started in the first seven in the market and, more recently, two of the last four winners have justified favouritism.

International Stakes most successful trainer

Richard Fahey has won the race three times with those three winners coming from Castles In The Air (2010), Heavens Guest (2015) and Stamp Hill (2017). Roger Charlton and Jamie Osborne are his nearest pursuers with two wins each.

International Stakes most successful jockey

William Buick and Joe Fanning have each won the race twice. Buick, champion jockey in Britain, won on Bronze Prince (2011) and Danyah (2021), while Fanning scored back-to-back wins on Galician (2013) and Heavy Metal (2014).

International Stakes famous winners

Winning favourites in a hot handicap such as this are always popular with punters.

Danyah (2021) for Owen Burrows and Blue Mist (2020) for Roger Charlton won as market leaders in two of the last four runnings, while Heavens Guest (2015) for Richard Fahey and Librisa Breeze (2016) for Dean Ivory have also justified favouritism in recent times.