The event was originally named after
Washington Singer (1866–1934), a prominent racehorse owner and philanthropist and was initially run over a distance of 6 furlongs, before being extended by one furlong in 1983. It has been won by several subsequent
Classic winners, including
Rodrigo de Triano,
Lammtarra and
Haafhd. The race is currently restricted to horses which have not won at Group level, and whose sires achieved victory at distances in excess of 1 mile and 1½ furlongs, or 1,900 metres. Sponsors of the Washington Singer Stakes have included Usk Valley Stud,
Matalan and Denford Stud, and in recent years it has been run under various sponsored titles. The race title formally changed to the Denford Stakes from the 2017 running. ==Records==