The Minstrel Stakes is a Group 3

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 Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 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 three years or older. It is run at the Curragh

Curragh Racecourse

The Curragh Racecourse, usually abbreviated to The Curragh, is Ireland's most important Thoroughbred race track. It is situated on the Curragh plain near Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.- History :...

 over a distance of 7 furlongs (1,408 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.

The event is named after The Minstrel

The Minstrel

The Minstrel was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse in Great Britain and Ireland. His performances led to him becoming the Horse of the Year in the United Kingdom, Horse of the Year in Ireland and being inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.Foaled at E.P...

, a successful Irish-trained racehorse in the 1970s. It was formerly held at Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park Racecourse

Phoenix Park Racecourse is a former horse racing venue in Ireland. It was located in the north-west corner of Dublin on the northern edge of Phoenix Park. The course was founded by J. H. H. Peard, and racing began there in 1902....

 in late April or early May, and it used to be contested by three-year-olds over a mile. For a period it was classed at Listed level.

The race was transferred to the Curragh and switched to July in 1991, and at this point it was opened to older horses. It was promoted to Group 3 status in 1996, and cut to 7 furlongs in 2001. The minimum age of participating horses was raised to four in 2002, and three-year-olds were re-admitted in 2007.

Records

Most successful horse since 1988 (2 wins):

• Ramooz – 1997, 1999

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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:...

 since 1988 (6 wins):

• Michael Kinane
  Michael Kinane
  Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....
  
   – Executive Perk (1988), Twilight Agenda (1989), Go and Go (1990), Asema (1993), King Charlemagne (2001), Caradak (2005)

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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...

 since 1988 (4 wins):

• Dermot Weld
  Dermot Weld
  Dermot K. Weld is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland ....
  
   – Executive Perk (1988), Twilight Agenda (1989), Go and Go (1990), Asema (1993)

Winners since 1988

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Time
1988	Executive Perk	3	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	Dermot Weld Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland ....	1:43.20
1989	Twilight Agenda	3	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	Dermot Weld Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland ....	1:49.50
1990	Go and Go Go And Go Go And Go was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning an American Classic race. Owned and bred by Swiss businessman, Walter Haefner, Go And Go was bred at his Moyglare Stud Farm in Maynooth, County Kildare...	3	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	Dermot Weld Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland ....	1:38.00
1991	Rimpa	3	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....	Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history, according to a worldwide vote hosted by the Racing Post newspaper...	1:35.60
1992	Via Borghese	3	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...	Vincent O'Brien Vincent O'Brien Dr. Michael Vincent O'Brien was an Irish race horse trainer from Churchtown, County Cork, Ireland. In 2003 he was voted the greatest influence in horse racing history, according to a worldwide vote hosted by the Racing Post newspaper...	1:40.20
1993	Asema	3	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	Dermot Weld Dermot Weld Dermot K. Weld is one of Ireland's most successful racehorse trainers. He holds the record for the most winners trained in Ireland ....	1:41.00
1994	Wandering Thoughts	5	Christy Roche Christy Roche Christy Roche is a retired champion Irish flat racing jockey.Over his thirty year career between 1968 and 1998 he won the Budweiser Irish Derby 3 times which he won in 1982, 1992 and 1997. His 1997 victory was on Desert King.-External links:*...	Aidan O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....	1:43.30
1995	Hushang	5	Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh is a Irish flat racing jockey from Bohermeen, Navan, County Meath.He excels on the big stage, having won many Group 1 races around the world...	John Oxx John Oxx John M. Oxx is a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. His stables are located on "The Curragh" of Kildare, the stables are named Currabeg Stables. His father, John Oxx Sr., was also a very successful trainer who won eight Irish classics and it was the younger Oxx's ambition to follow in his...	1:39.50
1996	Restructure	4	Paul Eddery	Julie Cecil	1:37.60
1997	Ramooz	4	Kieren Fallon Kieren Fallon Kieren Francis Fallon is a professional flat racing jockey and has been British Champion Jockey six times....	Ben Hanbury	1:38.80
1998	Burden of Proof	6	Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh is a Irish flat racing jockey from Bohermeen, Navan, County Meath.He excels on the big stage, having won many Group 1 races around the world...	Charles O'Brien	1:42.70
1999	Ramooz	6	Jimmy Fortune Jimmy Fortune (jockey) Jimmy Fortune is an Irish thoroughbred jockey who, through 2008, has 76 wins from 528 rides. He apprenticed with Jim Bolger in Ireland. He was first licensed in 1987 and his first win came in 1988 at Thirsk riding Hitchinstown...	Ben Hanbury	1:39.10
2000	Shibl	3	Stephen Craine	Kevin Prendergast	1:36.90
2001	King Charlemagne	3	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	Aidan O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....	1:23.80
2002	Gateman	5	Keith Dalgleish	Mark Johnston	1:26.40
2003	Avorado	5	Kevin Manning	Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland...	1:24.80
2004	Trade Fair	4	Richard Hughes Richard Hughes (jockey) Richard Hughes is an Irish flat jockey who most commonly rides in Great Britain. Born in Dublin, he is the son of successful National Hunt trainer, Dessie Hughes. His main provider of rides has been trainer Richard Hannon who is also his father in law andfrom 2001 to 2007 he was also retained by...	Roger Charlton Roger Charlton Roger J. Charlton is an English racehorse trainer and a former flat racing jockey. He trains horses in Beckhampton Stables in Wiltshire, England. He has had many successes as a trainer in England and Europe, including victories in both the Epsom Derby and the Prix du Jockey Club in 1990...	1:21.50
2005	Caradak	4	Michael Kinane Michael Kinane Michael J. Kinane is a former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009....	John Oxx John Oxx John M. Oxx is a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. His stables are located on "The Curragh" of Kildare, the stables are named Currabeg Stables. His father, John Oxx Sr., was also a very successful trainer who won eight Irish classics and it was the younger Oxx's ambition to follow in his...	1:21.20
2006	Jedburgh	5	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....	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....	1:28.60
2007	Redstone Dancer	5	Pat Shanahan	Sheena Collins	1:32.79
2008	Jumbajukiba	5	Fran Berry	Jessica Harrington	1:26.26
2009	Three Rocks	4	Kevin Manning	Jim Bolger Jim Bolger (racehorse trainer) James S. "Jim" Bolger is an Thoroughbred racehorse trainer and breeder based in Coolcullen in County Kilkenny. For many years now he has been recognised as one of the racing greats in Ireland...	1:28.61
2010	Air Chief Marshal	3	Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh Johnny Murtagh is a Irish flat racing jockey from Bohermeen, Navan, County Meath.He excels on the big stage, having won many Group 1 races around the world...	Aidan O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Cashel in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates....	1:23.92
2011	Across the Rhine	5	Pat Shanahan	Tracey Collins	1:27.60