Names to conjure with from Solario's rich history

Whether Saturday's Solario Stakes contains a future star remains to be seen, but the race – now 70 years old having been inaugurated in 1947 – has been a springboard for some top-class horses. Here, Graham Dench takes a wander down memory lane to find super seven winners

To-Agori-Mou
Guy Harwood, 1980

Quickened up smartly to beat Bold Raider before being eased down to win by two lengths in the Solario and ended the season second top dog behind the brilliant Vincent O'Brien colt Storm Bird, who beat him in a memorable Dewhurst. Had a superb three-year-old campaign, when never out of the first two in the first eight of nine starts, winning the 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace, Waterford Crystal Mile and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. Also held the Irish 2,000 Guineas for a while, having been awarded it by raceday stewards after his second to his great rival Kings Lake, only for the original result to be reinstated on appeal.

Oh So Sharp
Sir Henry Cecil, 1984

Two-length defeat of Young Runaway in the Solario preceded a similarly convincing win at Ascot in the Hoover Mile (now Fillies' Mile, but only Group 3). She went on to become one of the most celebrated fillies of modern times as the first since Meld in 1955 to complete the fillies' triple crown with wins in the 1,000 Guineas, Oaks (huge performance in beating Triptych six lengths) and St Leger. She met her only career defeats when second to Petoski in the King George and to Commanche Run in the Benson & Hedges (now Juddmonte International) at York.

Oh So Sharp (Steve Cauthen) completes the fillies' triple crown in the 1985 St LegerCredit: System

Bold Arrangement
Clive Brittain, 1985

Bold Arrangement's Solario success was his fourth in an eight-race juvenile campaign. Failed to score in another busy campaign at three but created a bit of racing history as a pioneering first British-trained runner in the Kentucky Derby, in which he excelled himself in second behind Ferdinand.

Be My Chief
Sir Henry Cecil, 1989

Showed huge amounts of promise by going through his two-year-old season unbeaten in six races. Had only two rivals in the Solario, in which he started at 1-3, but impressed in a Racing Post Trophy run at Newcastle owing to subsidence at Doncaster, making all and coming home four lengths clear. He proved difficult to train on firm ground at three and made only one appearance, finishing last of seven in the Scottish Classic at Ayr.

Alhaarth
Dick Hern, 1995

A top-class two-year-old when he won all of his five races, starting at 30-100 when a comfortable winner of a four-runner Solario and going on to account for similarly small fields in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and Dewhurst at Newmarket. Failed to add another Group 1 success, but landed three at Group 2 level, the last two at four after joining Saeed Bin Suroor.

Raven's Pass
John Gosden, 2007

Completed a hat-trick of juvenile wins with a hugely impressive seven-length defeat of City Leader in the Solario before ending the season with a third behind New Approach in the Dewhurst. His three-year-old campaign began with a series of defeats, but his duels with Ballydoyle rival Henrythenavigator became a highlight of the season and he ended it with glorious defeats of Aidan O'Brien's colt in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita.

Raven's Pass (Frankie Dettorii) lands the 2008 Breeder's Cup ClassicCredit: Edward Whitaker

John Gosden, 2013

Raced only twice at two and his debut win in a Newmarket maiden was so impressive that he faced only three rivals when comfortably landing odds of 2-7 in the Solario. Resumed with an impressive defeat of Night Of Thunder in the Greenham at Newbury but went down by half a length to the same colt in one of the shocks of the season when hot favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, his only career defeat. Went on to confirm himself an exceptional miler in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, St James's Palace, Sussex Stakes and Prix Jacques le Marois.

Solario Stakes card