Haydockâs early August highlight is the Group 3 mile and a quarter Rose of Lancaster Stakes for three-year-old fillies. This title refers to a five-sided heraldic symbol dating back to the Wars of the Roses, in which the noble houses of Lancaster and York fought for over a
century for the throne of England; hence the special rivalry in the cricket world of the Roses matches between Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The red rose of Lancaster originated with John Of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, a son of Edward III, who used it as his heraldic emblem. Haydock also stages the John Of Gaunt (qv) Stakes.
In December 1981 it was reported that in future the July fixture would combine the old Rose of Lancaster Stakes and the Cock of the North Stakes (qv). There was, therefore, no race of this name in my target year 1982, but it made a comeback in 1989, replacing the more prosaically-named Summer Trophy. Every now and then it produces a top-class late developer. So far this century Nayef (2001), Jukebox Jury (2009) and Addeybb (2019) have gone on to record more than a Group 1 success each.
Courtesy Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh edition) 23 Dec 1981 and The Racing Forum (contributor Cork All Star)
There is also a pub named after John of Gaunt in Lancaster – but I do not know if it has a barmaid named Rose.