Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing - United Kingdom

United Kingdom

In England, where the term Triple Crown originated with West Australian's three wins in 1853, it is made up of:

1. the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, run over 1 mile (1,609 meters) at Newmarket Racecourse in Newmarket, Suffolk;
2. the Epsom Derby, run over 1 mile 4 furlongs and 10 yards (2,423 metres) at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Epsom, Surrey;
3. the St. Leger Stakes, run over 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards (2,937 metres) at Town Moor in Doncaster, Yorkshire.

There is also a Fillies Triple Crown for a filly winning the 1,000 Guineas Stakes, Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes. In the past, this was not considered a true Triple Crown as the best fillies would run in the Derby and Two Thousand Guineas. As this is no longer the case, the Fillies' Triple Crown would now be considered as comparable as the original. Winners of the Fillies Triple Crown are:

• 1868 – Formosa, also dead heated in the Two Thousand Guineas
• 1871 – Hannah
• 1874 – Apology, also won the Ascot Gold Cup
• 1892 – La Fleche, also won the Ascot Gold Cup
• 1902 – Sceptre, also won the Two Thousand Guineas
• 1904 – Pretty Polly
• 1942 – Sun Chariot
• 1955 – Meld
• 1985 – Oh So Sharp

Since the 2,000 Guineas was first run in 1809, only fifteen horses (including three winners of substitute races at Newmarket during World War I) have ever won the English Triple Crown, including Nijinsky in 1970. Nijinsky is still the only winner of the English Triple Crown since World War II. For many years, it was considered unlikely that any horse would ever win the English Triple Crown again. In the winter of 2006/2007, however, trainer Jim Bolger was training his unbeaten colt Teofilo for the Triple Crown and bookmaker William Hill plc was offering odds of only 12/1 against Teofilo winning the 2007 Triple Crown. However, the horse was withdrawn from the 2000 Guineas two days before the race after suffering a setback and never raced again.

Since Nijinsky, only Nashwan (1989), Sea the Stars (2009), and Camelot (2012) have won both the Guineas and the Derby. Between Reference Point in 1987 and Camelot in 2012, no Derby winner (not even the potential Triple Crown winners Nashwan and Sea the Stars) even entered the St. Leger. This reluctance to compete in the St. Leger is said to be due to the impact it would have on a horse's stud value in a market where speed is preferred to stamina.

For a list of the annual individual race winners, see English Triple Crown race winners.

Triple Crown Champions:

• Wartime winners Pommern, Gay Crusader and Gainsborough are not counted, according to many judges, as the three classics were all held at Newmarket and racing itself was too disrupted. By this reckoning, there were only 12 triple crown winners, and only four in the 20th century.