The National Stakes is a Listedflathorse race in Great Britain open to horses aged two years old.
It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 5 furlongs and 10 yards (1,015 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year at the end of May.
The race was first run in 1889 and was known as the National Breeders' Produce Stakes until 1959. In 1932 it was "the most valuable two-year-old race on the English calendar".[1]
Abernant was the a dominant sprinter who went on to achieve champion status in 1949 and 1950. As a two-year-old in 1948 he was top of the Free Handicap. Abernant was only once on the stretch and that was in a fantastic race for the National Breeders Produce Stakes at Sandown on July 17. His main opponent was Star King. The 1948 edition of The Bloodstock Breeders Review provided the following wonderful account written by James Park of the race.
"Star King had won three races in runaway fashion. He had not been engaged at Ascot... Star King's jockey Sam Wragg after a gallop said "Abernant may be a good one, but he will have to hop along". I should say there was something more than quiet confidence behind Star King. Each had earned the maximum penalty and were meeting at level weights.
When the tapes went up off went Star King. Abernant followed at an interval of perhaps three lengths. The others dribbled out of the gate, so that by the time half a furlong had been covered there were many lengths between Star King and the hindmost member of the party. The uphill course at Sandown is not one on which waiting tactics can be employed successfully. So I was rather surprised when Gordon Richards (Abernant's jockey) pretty well sat on Star King's tail without making any attempt to join issue. The leader was slipping along while still on the bit. Gordon, on Abernant, had what is known as a double handful. It was after covering three furlongs that Gordon set Abernant alight. He soon went past Star King and it looked all over bar the shouting. But drama was to follow. Star King had never even been shown the whip in previous races. It had not been necessary. It electrified him to such an extent he suddenly became jet propelled. By that time Abernant had gained probably a length lead. Quick to sense the situation, out came Gordon's whip. The response was not quite the same. Instead of gaining further ground, Abernant began to edge over to the right. Star King kept a perfectly true line. Up he crept, and 100 yards from the winning post he was still gaining. It was anybody's race as they went past the post, with Star King definitely going the stronger. The judge promptly ruled that Abernant had retained sufficient of his lead to win by the shortest of short heads. (There was no photo finish at Sandown at the time) James Park went on to write I am old enough to know better than to argue with the judge. He is the one person in a position to give an opinion. Sam Wragg thought he had won and he was not the only one.
Mr Wilfred Harvey, the owner of Star King, took it well. "I hope they can meet again over 6 furlongs" he said. They did not do so. The controversy raged throughout the season, and no doubt continued during the winter. There was the usual inquest. Noel Murless ... told me that in home gallops Abernant had been ridden from behind, and had always produced a brilliant burst of speed in the last 100 yards or so. That was why it was decided to adopt similar tactics at Sandown.[2]
In the Free Handicap at the end of the year Abernant was allocated 9st 7lb and Star King was second on the list at 9st 5lb. Timeform, in its first Annual that rated all horses, gave Abernant 133 and Star King 131 rating.[3]
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