The Henry II Stakes is a Group 2

Conditions races

Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...

 flat

Flat racing

Flat racing is a form of Thoroughbred horse racing which is run over a level track at a predetermined distance. It differs from steeplechase racing which is run over hurdles...

 horse race

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 in Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 open to thoroughbred

Thoroughbred

The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

s aged four years or older. It is run at Sandown Park over a distance of 2 miles and 78 yards (3,290 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in late May.

The event is named after King Henry II

Henry II of England

Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...

, who founded an Augustine priory on the site of Sandown Park in the 12th century. The race was established in 1963, and the inaugural running was won by Gaul.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and for a period the Henry II Stakes held Group 3 status. It was promoted to Group 2 level in 2002.

The leading horses from the Henry II Stakes often go on to compete in the following month's Gold Cup

Ascot Gold Cup

The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to thoroughbreds aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs , and it is scheduled to take place each year in June....

 at Ascot. The last to win both events in the same year was Papineau in 2004.

Records

Most successful horse (3 wins):

• Persian Punch
  Persian Punch
  Persian Punch was a Thoroughbred racehorse trained in the United Kingdom. He was frequently heralded by the Racing Post and his fans as the most popular horse in training during the final years of his career. He had his own fan club and website....
  
   – 1997, 1998, 2000

----
Leading jockey

Jockey

A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...

 (5 wins):

• Joe Mercer
  Joe Mercer (jockey)
  Joseph Mercer is a retired English Thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active as a jockey from 1947 to 1985 and rode a total of 2,810 winners in Britain, a figure exceeded only by Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Doug Smith at the time of Mercer’s retirement, and subsequently only...
  
   – Grey of Falloden (1965), Charlton (1971), Zab (1975), Sea Anchor (1976), Buckskin (1979)

----
Leading trainer

Horse trainer

In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...

 (6 wins):

• Dick Hern
  Dick Hern
  William Richard "Dick" Hern, CVO, was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions....
  
   – Grey of Falloden (1965), Charlton (1971), Zab (1975), Sea Anchor (1976), Smuggler (1978), Longboat (1986)

Winners since 1978

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Time
1978	Smuggler	5	Willie Carson Willie Carson William Fisher Hunter Carson, OBE is a retired jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.-Life and career:Best known as "Miserable Willie", Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland. In 1957 he was apprenticed to Captain Gerald Armstrong at his stables at Tupgill, North Yorkshire...	Dick Hern Dick Hern William Richard "Dick" Hern, CVO, was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions....
1979	Buckskin	6	Joe Mercer Joe Mercer (jockey) Joseph Mercer is a retired English Thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active as a jockey from 1947 to 1985 and rode a total of 2,810 winners in Britain, a figure exceeded only by Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott and Doug Smith at the time of Mercer’s retirement, and subsequently only...	Henry Cecil Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil is a successful English horse racing trainer who has had many winners in the Epsom Derby, 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes....
1980	Billion	6	Pat Eddery Pat Eddery Patrick James John "Pat" Eddery is a former flat racing jockey. Pat's father Jimmy Eddery was a jockey, as is his brother Paul Eddery.-Career:...	John Dunlop John L. Dunlop John L. Dunlop is a successful race horse trainer based in Arundel, Sussex, with over 3000 winners between 1966 and 2002.He was the British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1995....
1981	no race 1981
1982	Ardross Ardross (horse) Ardross was a Thoroughbred racehorse who was a co-holder of the record for consecutive wins in European racing. Ardross was bred by trainer Paddy Prendergast for his American owner Elisabeth Ireland Poe who was also the breeder of Meadow Court. His sire was Run the Gantlet, a son of U.S. Racing...	6	Lester Piggott Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....	Henry Cecil Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil is a successful English horse racing trainer who has had many winners in the Epsom Derby, 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes....
1983	Ore	5	Lester Piggott Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott is a retired English professional jockey, popularly known as "The Long Fellow". With 4,493 career wins, including nine Epsom Derby victories, he is one of the most well-known English flat racing jockeys of all time....	Willie Musson
1984	Harly	4	Pat Eddery Pat Eddery Patrick James John "Pat" Eddery is a former flat racing jockey. Pat's father Jimmy Eddery was a jockey, as is his brother Paul Eddery.-Career:...	John Dunlop John L. Dunlop John L. Dunlop is a successful race horse trainer based in Arundel, Sussex, with over 3000 winners between 1966 and 2002.He was the British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1995....
1985	Destroyer	4	Simon Whitworth	Kim Brassey
1986	Longboat	5	Willie Carson Willie Carson William Fisher Hunter Carson, OBE is a retired jockey in thoroughbred horse racing.-Life and career:Best known as "Miserable Willie", Carson was born in Stirling, Scotland. In 1957 he was apprenticed to Captain Gerald Armstrong at his stables at Tupgill, North Yorkshire...	Dick Hern Dick Hern William Richard "Dick" Hern, CVO, was an English Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and winner of sixteen British Classic Races between 1962 and 1995, and was Champion Trainer on four occasions....	3:37.83
1987	Saronicos	4	Tony Ives	Clive Brittain Clive Brittain Clive Brittain is a British race-horse trainer. He began training as an apprentice in 1949, and on his own as a licensed trainer in the early 1970s. He currently trains at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk...	3:30.47
1988	Primitive Rising	4	Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...	Henry Cecil Henry Cecil Sir Henry Richard Amherst Cecil is a successful English horse racing trainer who has had many winners in the Epsom Derby, 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Oaks and the St. Leger Stakes....	3:40.95
1989	Sadeem	6	Greville Starkey Greville Starkey Greville Starkey was an English jockey who rode almost 2,000 winners during a 33-year career on the flat.Starkey scaled the heights of his profession during his 33-year career in which he rode 1,989 winners on the Flat...	Guy Harwood Guy Harwood Guy Harwood is a retired British racehorse trainer. Harwood was born in Pulborough, West Sussex, in 1939. Harwood began riding at the age of 18 and won 40 point-to-point races and 14 National Hunt races over the next few years...	3:29.93
1990	Teamster Teamster (horse) Teamster was a thoroughbred racehorse owned and bred by Philip Newton. By Known Fact, out of Rosetta Stone, he won back to back Sagaro Stakes which is a Group 3 flat race run over 2 miles at Ascot racecourse...	4	Walter Swinburn Walter Swinburn Walter R. Swinburn is a retired flat racing jockey who competed in Great Britain and Ireland as well as internationally.Swinburn was born in Oxford...	Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972...	3:33.88
1991	Top of the World	4	Michael Roberts Michael Roberts (jockey) Michael Roberts is a South African jockey currently residing in Suffolk, England, with his wife Verna and two daughters, Melanie and Carolyn. Roberts has had a successful career, winning many English and South African races multiple times. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey in 1992...	Clive Brittain Clive Brittain Clive Brittain is a British race-horse trainer. He began training as an apprentice in 1949, and on his own as a licensed trainer in the early 1970s. He currently trains at Carlburg Stables in Newmarket, Suffolk...	3:35.59
1992	Drum Taps Drum Taps (horse) Drum Taps was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse. He was a noted stayer, showing his best form over distances in excess of two miles, but was also successful over shorter distances. He won England’s most important staying race, the Ascot Gold Cup in 1992 and 1993. In 1992 he was named European...	6	Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...	Lord Huntingdon	3:32.75
1993	Brier Creek	4	Michael Roberts Michael Roberts (jockey) Michael Roberts is a South African jockey currently residing in Suffolk, England, with his wife Verna and two daughters, Melanie and Carolyn. Roberts has had a successful career, winning many English and South African races multiple times. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey in 1992...	John Gosden John Gosden John Gosden is a racehorse trainer. Having trained over 2,000 winners since his return to England in 1989, including winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic, the Derby, the King George, the 1,000 Guineas and the St. Leger, he is generally considered one of the most successful racehorse trainers of...	3:39.64
1994	My Patriarch	4	Pat Eddery Pat Eddery Patrick James John "Pat" Eddery is a former flat racing jockey. Pat's father Jimmy Eddery was a jockey, as is his brother Paul Eddery.-Career:...	John Dunlop John L. Dunlop John L. Dunlop is a successful race horse trainer based in Arundel, Sussex, with over 3000 winners between 1966 and 2002.He was the British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1995....	3:38.34
1995	Double Trigger Double Trigger Double Trigger is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He was bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom throughout his racing career, which lsted from 1993 to 1998...	4	Jason Weaver Jason Weaver (jockey) Jason Weaver is a former British flat racing jockey who had much of his major success in the mid 1990s. In total, Weaver rode more than 1,000 winners in a career which spanned fourteen years.-Biography:...	Mark Johnston	3:33.01
1996	Double Trigger Double Trigger Double Trigger is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire. He was bred in Ireland, but trained in the United Kingdom throughout his racing career, which lsted from 1993 to 1998...	5	Jason Weaver Jason Weaver (jockey) Jason Weaver is a former British flat racing jockey who had much of his major success in the mid 1990s. In total, Weaver rode more than 1,000 winners in a career which spanned fourteen years.-Biography:...	Mark Johnston	3:41.15
1997	Persian Punch Persian Punch Persian Punch was a Thoroughbred racehorse trained in the United Kingdom. He was frequently heralded by the Racing Post and his fans as the most popular horse in training during the final years of his career. He had his own fan club and website....	4	Ray Cochrane Ray Cochrane Ray Cochrane is a retired horse racing jockey and current sports agent.He was the winning jockey in three of the five British Classic Races: the Oaks Stakes, 1,000 Guineas Stakes and Epsom Derby Stakes...	David Elsworth David Elsworth David Elsworth is a horse trainer living in the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for being the trainer of Desert Orchid, 1988 Grand National winner Rhyme 'n' Reason and 1990 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Barnbrook Again - just three horses amongst a host of top-class performers over...	3:35.15
1998	Persian Punch Persian Punch Persian Punch was a Thoroughbred racehorse trained in the United Kingdom. He was frequently heralded by the Racing Post and his fans as the most popular horse in training during the final years of his career. He had his own fan club and website....	5	Walter Swinburn Walter Swinburn Walter R. Swinburn is a retired flat racing jockey who competed in Great Britain and Ireland as well as internationally.Swinburn was born in Oxford...	David Elsworth David Elsworth David Elsworth is a horse trainer living in the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for being the trainer of Desert Orchid, 1988 Grand National winner Rhyme 'n' Reason and 1990 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Barnbrook Again - just three horses amongst a host of top-class performers over...	3:35.58
1999	Arctic Owl	5	Ray Cochrane Ray Cochrane Ray Cochrane is a retired horse racing jockey and current sports agent.He was the winning jockey in three of the five British Classic Races: the Oaks Stakes, 1,000 Guineas Stakes and Epsom Derby Stakes...	James Fanshawe James Fanshawe James Fanshawe is a British racehorse trainer.He principally trains flat horses such as multiple Group 1 winner Soviet Song. However, he has twice won the Champion Hurdle in 1992 with Royal Gait James Fanshawe is a British racehorse trainer.He principally trains flat horses such as multiple Group...	3:33.18
2000	Persian Punch Persian Punch Persian Punch was a Thoroughbred racehorse trained in the United Kingdom. He was frequently heralded by the Racing Post and his fans as the most popular horse in training during the final years of his career. He had his own fan club and website....	7	Philip Robinson Philip P. Robinson Philip Peter Robinson is an English flat racing jockey.The son of Peter Robinson, a jockey and trainer, he rode his first winner in 1978 at Great Yarmouth. He was British flat racing Champion Apprentice in 1979 and 1980. One of his most famous victories was his win on Pebbles, trained by Clive...	David Elsworth David Elsworth David Elsworth is a horse trainer living in the United Kingdom. He is perhaps best known for being the trainer of Desert Orchid, 1988 Grand National winner Rhyme 'n' Reason and 1990 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Barnbrook Again - just three horses amongst a host of top-class performers over...	3:53.45
2001	Solo Mio	7	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	Amanda Perrett Amanda Perrett Amanda Perrett is an English horse racing trainer and runs the Coombelands Racing Stables in Pulborough, West Sussex, England. Since she took over Coombelands in 1996 from her father, former champion trainer Guy Harwood, horses trained there have won over three hundred races and generated over...	3:37.43
2002	Akbar	6	Richard Hills	Mark Johnston	3:32.44
2003	Mr Dinos	4	Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...	Paul Cole Paul Cole Paul F. I. Cole is a British racehorse trainer. Since 1987 he has been based at Whatcombe Estate in Oxfordshire, the former stables of Dick Dawson and Arthur Budgett....	3:30.50
2004	Papineau	4	Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...	Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor , is a horse racing trainer. Formerly a policeman, he took out his training license in 1994 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation....	3:34.17
2005	Fight Your Corner	6	Kerrin McEvoy	Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor Saeed bin Suroor , is a horse racing trainer. Formerly a policeman, he took out his training license in 1994 and the following year was appointed as the trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin operation....	3:38.77
2006	Tungsten Strike	5	Ryan Moore	Amanda Perrett Amanda Perrett Amanda Perrett is an English horse racing trainer and runs the Coombelands Racing Stables in Pulborough, West Sussex, England. Since she took over Coombelands in 1996 from her father, former champion trainer Guy Harwood, horses trained there have won over three hundred races and generated over...	3:45.55
2007	Allegretto	4	Seb Sanders Seb Sanders Seb Sanders is a flat race jockey.He came into racing by getting a job with trainer Bryan McMahon, and it was for McMahon that Sanders rode his first winner on 12 June 1990 on Band On The Run....	Sir Michael Stoute Michael Stoute Sir Michael Ronald Stoute is a Barbadian British thoroughbred horse trainer in flat racing. Stoute, whose father was the Chief of police for Barbados, left the island in 1964 at the age of 19 to become an assistant to trainer Pat Rohan and began training horses on his own in 1972...	3:39.47
2008	Finalmente	6	Frankie Dettori Frankie Dettori Lanfranco "Frankie" Dettori, MBE is an Italian horse racing jockey and celebrity. Dettori has been Champion Jockey on three occasions and has ridden the winners of more than 500 Group races.. He has had many successes in his role of stable jockey to Godolphin Racing...	Simon Callaghan	3:54.30
2009	Geordieland	8	Shane Kelly	Jamie Osborne Jamie Osborne Jamie Osborne is a jockey and race horse trainer. Born 28 August 1967 he rode his first winner in March 1986 and in 1999 obtained his trainers licence. Once a favourite of the Queen Mother, he was acquitted of race fixing in 1998.-References:...	3:30.07
2010	Akmal	4	Richard Hills	John Dunlop John L. Dunlop John L. Dunlop is a successful race horse trainer based in Arundel, Sussex, with over 3000 winners between 1966 and 2002.He was the British flat racing Champion Trainer in 1995....	3:37.92
2011	Blue Bajan	9	Daniel Tudhope	David O'Meara	3:41.33

The 1981 running was abandoned because of a waterlogged course.