History
The event is named after Nunthorpe, an area of York located to the north of the racecourse. The first version, a low-grade selling race, was established in 1903. The present version began in 1922, and the inaugural running was won by Two Step.
The race was sponsored by William Hill from 1976 to 1989, and during this period it was known as the William Hill Sprint Championship. It has had several different sponsors since then, and the latest is Coolmore Stud, which started supporting the event in 2007.
The Nunthorpe Stakes became part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2011. The winner of the race now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the same year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
The event is one of a limited number of races in which two-year-old horses can compete against their elders. The first juvenile to win was High Treason in 1953, and the most recent was Kingsgate Native in 2007.
The Nunthorpe Stakes is currently held on the third day of York's four-day Ebor Festival meeting.
Read more about this topic: Nunthorpe Stakes
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