Nassau Stakes
United Kingdom | FEATURE RACE GUIDE
History
The Nassau Stakes is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the fillies and mares at Goodwood conducted by the Goodwood Racecourse.
The Nassau Stakes is run over almost a mile and a quarter. It was first run in 1840 and was won by Rosa Bianca.
After initially being for 3yo fillies in 1840, older mares could run from 1975.
It was a Group 2 from the start then a Group 1 in 1999. The original distance was a mile then a mile and quarter in 1900 before the small reduction in 1911.
It is run during the Goodwood Festival in late July or early August known as 'Glorious Goodwood'.
The name Nassau relates to the association between the former owner of Goodwood racecourse, the 5th Duke Of Richmond and the Netherlands Royal Family (House of Orange-Nassau).
The Nassau Stakes is the follow on from the Falmouth Stakes and before the Yorkshire Oaks in the pattern.
The Nassau Stakes was not run during the War years.
The fillies did win 11 in a row from 1993 but since then, it has been around 50:50.
Nat Flatman and Sir Gordon Richards have most wins with six as a rider while Sir Henry Cecil has eight as a trainer including three-timer Midday.
Midday is the only mare to win three times in 2009/2010/2011 for Cecil and Tom Queally.
The race had international attention in 2019 when the Japanese G1 winning mare Deirdre railed home to win.
2025 saw a remarkable happening with shocking weather leading officials to begin the race under a flag start and Whirl being the winner.
The Nassau Stakes was worth £600,000 in 2025.
Notable winners of the Nassau Stakes include Whirl (2025), Opera Singer (2024), Nashwa (2022), Fancy Blue (2020), Deirdre (2019), Winter (2017), Minding (2016), The Fugue (2012), Midday (2009/2010/2011), Ouija Board (2006), Alexander Goldrun (2005), Russian Rhythm (2003), Islington (2002), Ryafan (1997), Ruby Tiger (1991/1992), Roussalka (1975/1976), Aunt Edith (1965), Happy Laughter (1953), Saucy See (1925), Winkipop (1910), Cherry Lass (1905), Pretty Polly (1904), Sceptre (1902), La Fleche (1892) and Virago (1854).
The 2025 Nassau Stakes was won by Whirl from Cercene and See The Fire.
Previous Nassau Stakes Winners
| Date | Horse | Jockey | WT | Trainer | BP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
WHIRL
(IRE)
3F WOOTTON BASSETT (GB) - SALSA (IRE) GALILEO (IRE) |
RYAN MOORE | 57.0 | A P O'BRIEN | 4 |
|
|
OPERA SINGER
(USA)
3F JUSTIFY (USA) - LISCANNA (IRE) SADLER'S WELLS (USA) |
RYAN MOORE | 57.5 | A P O'BRIEN | 8 |
|
|
AL HUSN
(IRE)
4F DUBAWI (IRE) - HADAATHA (IRE) SEA THE STARS (IRE) |
JIM CROWLEY | 61.0 | ROGER VARIAN | 6 |
|
|
NASHWA
(GB)
3F FRANKEL (GB) - PRINCESS LOULOU (IRE) PIVOTAL (GB) |
HOLLIE DOYLE | 57.0 | JOHN & THADY GOSDEN | 9 |
|
|
LADY BOWTHORPE
(GB)
5M NATHANIEL (IRE) - MAGLIETTA FINA (IRE) VERGLAS (IRE) |
KIERAN SHOEMARK | 60.5 | W JARVIS | 5 |
|
|
FANCY BLUE
(IRE)
3F DEEP IMPACT (JPN) - CHENCHIKOVA (IRE) SADLER'S WELLS (USA) |
RYAN MOORE | 56.0 | DONNACHA O'BRIEN | 3 |
|
|
DEIRDRE
(JPN)
5M HARBINGER (GB) - REIZEND (JPN) SPECIAL WEEK (JPN) |
OISIN MURPHY | 60.5 | M HASHIDA | 4 |
|
|
WILD ILLUSION
(GB)
3F DUBAWI (IRE) - RUMH (GER) MONSUN (GER) |
WILLIAM BUICK | 56.5 | C APPLEBY | 6 |
|
|
WINTER
(IRE)
3F GALILEO (IRE) - LADDIES POKER TWO (IRE) CHOISIR (AUS) |
RYAN MOORE | 56.5 | A P O'BRIEN | 6 |
|
|
MINDING
(IRE)
3F GALILEO (IRE) - LILLIE LANGTRY (IRE) DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) |
RYAN MOORE | 56.0 | A P O'BRIEN | 1 |
|
|
LEGATISSIMO
(IRE)
3F DANEHILL DANCER (IRE) - YUMMY MUMMY (GB) MONTJEU (IRE) |
W M LORDAN | 56.0 | D WACHMAN | 8 |
|
|
SULTANINA
(GB)
4M NEW APPROACH (IRE) - SOFT CENTRE (GB) ZAFONIC (USA) |
WILLIAM BUICK | 60.5 | JOHN GOSDEN | 2 |
|
|
WINSILI
(GB)
3F DANSILI (GB) - WINTER SUNRISE (GB) PIVOTAL (GB) |
WILLIAM BUICK | 56.0 | JOHN GOSDEN | 15 |
|
|
THE FUGUE
(GB)
3F DANSILI (GB) - TWYLA THARP (IRE) SADLER'S WELLS (USA) |
R HUGHES | 56.0 | JOHN GOSDEN | 7 |
|
|
MIDDAY
(GB)
5M OASIS DREAM (GB) - MIDSUMMER (GB) KINGMAMBO (USA) |
T P QUEALLY | 60.0 | SIR HENRY CECIL | 6 |
|
|
MIDDAY
(GB)
4M OASIS DREAM (GB) - MIDSUMMER (GB) KINGMAMBO (USA) |
T P QUEALLY | 60.0 | SIR HENRY CECIL | 2 |
|
|
MIDDAY
(GB)
3F OASIS DREAM (GB) - MIDSUMMER (GB) KINGMAMBO (USA) |
T P QUEALLY | 55.5 | SIR HENRY CECIL | 1 |
|
|
HALFWAY TO HEAVEN
(IRE)
3F PIVOTAL (GB) - CASSANDRA GO (IRE) INDIAN RIDGE (IRE) |
J MURTAGH | 55.5 | A P O'BRIEN | 4 |
|
|
PEEPING FAWN
(USA)
3F DANEHILL (USA) - MARYINSKY (IRE) SADLER'S WELLS (USA) |
J MURTAGH | 55.5 | A P O'BRIEN | 8 |
|
|
OUIJA BOARD
(GB)
5M CAPE CROSS (IRE) - SELECTION BOARD (GB) WELSH PAGEANT (FR) |
LANFRANCO DETTORI | 57.5 | ED DUNLOP | 7 |
|
|
ALEXANDER GOLDRUN
(IRE)
4M GOLD AWAY (IRE) - RENASHAAN (FR) DARSHAAN (GB) |
K J MANNING | 58.5 | J S BOLGER | 9 |
|
|
FAVOURABLE TERMS
(GB)
4M SELKIRK (USA) - FATEFULLY (USA) PRIVATE ACCOUNT (USA) |
K FALLON | 58.0 | SIR MICHAEL STOUTE | 2 |
|
|
RUSSIAN RHYTHM
(USA)
3F KINGMAMBO (USA) - BALISTROIKA (USA) NIJINSKY II (GB) |
K FALLON | 53.5 | SIR MICHAEL STOUTE | 7 |
|
|
ISLINGTON
(IRE)
3F SADLER'S WELLS (USA) - HELLENIC (IRE) DARSHAAN (GB) |
K FALLON | 53.5 | SIR MICHAEL STOUTE | 6 |
|
|
LAILANI
(GB)
3F UNFUWAIN (USA) - LAILATI (USA) MR PROSPECTOR (USA) |
LANFRANCO DETTORI | 53.5 | ED DUNLOP | 5 |
|
|
CRIMPLENE
(IRE)
3F LION CAVERN (USA) - |
PHILIP ROBINSON | 53.5 | C E BRITTAIN | 3 |
Related News
Monday’s Racing Round-Up features running plans for Aidan O’Brien’s stars…
“The Arc has to be very much on her agenda”
Scandinavia was one of eleven horses from the Aidan O’Brien stable to feature on the 26-strong St Leger entries list that was revealed on Tuesday.
We look back at the Goodwood festival with all of the key ratings and horses to follow.
The G1 Prix Rothschild (1600m) at Deauville on Sunday (3 August) signals the start of the month-long festival at the chic Normandy coastal resort.
Joseph Murphy will look at dropping Cercene back to a mile for the Matron Stakes following her gallant second-place finish to Whirl in the Group 1 Qatar Nassau Stakes at Goodwood.
The star jockey's thoughts on his rides on Nassau Stakes Day
The Nassau Stakes run at Goodwood on Thursday is always important for the mares.
