The Royal Lodge Stakes is a Group 2 turf race for two-year-old colts and geldings, run over one mile on the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket in England. It is an important late-season test for juveniles stepping up in class and distance and is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby on the European/Middle East path.
The 2025 Royal Lodge Stakes is scheduled for September 26. Because it is run in the fall of the two-year-old season, it serves as an early points opportunity on the international Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
The Royal Lodge has a strong history of producing high-quality juveniles, and it is often used as a stepping stone toward major European targets at three. For Kentucky Derby tracking, it is one of the first international races that can put a horse on the invitation radar.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bow Echo | Billy Loughnane | George Boughey | 1:36.95 |
| 2024 | Wimbledon Hawkeye | James Doyle | James Owen | 1:38.38 |
| 2023 | Ghostwriter | Richard Kingscote | Clive Cox | 1:37.60 |
| 2022 | The Foxes | David Probert | Andrew Balding | 1:43.66 |
| 2021 | Royal Patronage | Jason Hart | Mark Johnston | 1:38.60 |
| 2020 | New Mandate | Frankie Dettori | Ralph Beckett | 1:37.86 |
As part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Royal Lodge awards international points and can help shape the early standings. While it is run on turf, it can still identify runners with the class and maturity to progress into tougher company later in the season.
For online stakes betting, the Royal Lodge is a useful race to watch because it combines a classic one-mile distance with a competitive juvenile field, often revealing which horses can settle, travel, and finish with purpose under pressure.
