Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
(British Champions Mile)
Group 1 race
LocationAscot Racecourse
Ascot, England
Inaugurated1955
Race typeFlat / Thoroughbred
SponsorQIPCO
WebsiteAscot
Race information
Distance1 mile (1,609 metres)
SurfaceTurf
TrackStraight
QualificationThree-years-old and up
Weight9 st 1 lb (3yo);
9 st 4 lb (4yo+)
Allowances
3 lb for fillies and mares
Purse£1,140,000 (2022)
1st: £655,700
Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
2023
Royal blue, white seams, white and royal blue chevrons on sleeves, hooped cap Pink, black circle, black shoulders, pink sleeves, black cap Green, red epaulets
Big Rock Facteur Cheval Tahiyra
Previous years
2022
Maroon, yellow hoops, maroon sleeves, yellow cap Royal blue Yellow, black epaulets
Bayside Boy Modern Games Jadoomi
2021
Royal blue, white epaulets, striped cap Silver, tassel on cap Purple, orange stars, emerald green sleeves, purple armlets, orange cap
Baaeed Palace Pier Lady Bowthorpe
2020-2011
2020
Red, black stars, red sleeves Yellow, large black spots and spots on cap Silver, tassel on cap
The Revenant Roseman Palace Pier
2019
Emerald green, grey epaulets, striped sleeves, grey cap Red, black stars, red sleeves Maroon, mauve epaulets
King Of Change The Revenant Safe Voyage
2018
Claret, gold braid, claret sleeves, claret cap, gold tassel Purple, white seams, striped sleeves, white cap Emerald green, black epaulets, black and emerald green striped sleeves
Roaring Lion I Can Fly Century Dream
2017
Red, white sash, royal blue cap Royal blue Royal blue, orange disc, striped sleeves and cap
Persuasive Ribchester Churchill
2016
Purple, white seams, striped sleeves, purple cap Royal blue Claret, gold braid, claret sleeves, gold cap, gold tassel
Minding Ribchester Lightning Spear
2015
Royal blue, white seams, sleeves and cap Royal blue Grey, beige star, grey sleeves, beige stars and stars on cap
Solow Belardo Gabrial
2014
Maroon, white spots, striped sleeves and spots on cap White, red sash, red and white striped cap Light blue, orange epaulets
Charm Spirit Night Of Thunder Toormore
2013
Grey, maroon epaulets Brown, brown cap, beige star Dark blue
Olympic Glory Top Notch Tonto Kingsbarns
2012
Purple, white seams, striped sleeves, purple cap Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves Black and yellow stripes, red sleeves
Excelebration Cityscape Elusive Kate
2011
Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves Grey, emerald green inverted triangle, sleeves and cap White and dark green hoops, white sleeves, dark green armlets, hooped cap
Frankel Excelebration Immortal Verse
2010–2001
2010
Royal blue Dark blue Light blue and red diamonds, light blue sleeves, red cap, light blue diamond
Poet's Voice Rip Van Winkle Red Jazz
2009
Dark blue Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves Royal blue
Rip Van Winkle Zacinto Delegator
2008
Emerald green, black chevrons on sleeves Dark blue Black, red sleeves, black armlets, red cap
Raven's Pass Henrythenavigator Sabana Perdida
2007
Royal blue Dark blue Pink
Ramonti Excellent Art Duke Of Marmalade
2006
Dark blue Dark green, beige stars on sleeves Royal blue, white chevron, light blue cap
George Washington Araafa Court Masterpiece
2005
Dark blue, white chevron, red sleeves and cap Royal blue Royal blue, white cap
Starcraft Dubawi Blatant
2004
Emerald green, white sash with yellow piping, emerald green and yellow check sleeves, white cap with pom pom Orange Royal blue
Rakti Lucky Story Refuse To Bend
2003
Light blue, yellow hoop and armlets, yellow cap, light blue diamond Red, white sash, royal blue cap Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves
Falbrav Russian Rhythm Tillerman
2002
Light Blue and Royal Blue diamonds, Royal Blue sleeves, Light Blue armlets, quartered cap Dark blue Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves
Where Or When Hawk Wing Tillerman
2001
Royal blue Royal blue Dark Blue
Summoner Noverre Hawkeye
2000–1991
2000
Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves Dark Blue Royal blue
Observatory Giant's Causeway Best of The Bests
1999
Royal blue White, emerald green stripe, green and red quartered cap Red, light blue sash, hooped sleeves, quartered cap
Dubai Millennium Almushtarak Gold Academy
1998
Black, white chevron hoop and cap White, green stripes, green cap Royal blue, orange disc, striped sleeves and cap
Desert Prince Dr Fong Second Empire
1997
Royal blue, red epaulets, striped cap Black and white halved, sleeves reversed, red cap Royal blue, white chevron, light blue cap
Air Express Rebecca Sharp Faithful Son
1996
Royal blue Dark green, white chevron and sleeves, white cap, green star Chocolate, Gold braid and sleeves, quartered cap
Mark of Esteem Bosra Sham First Island
1995
Royal blue, white epaulets, striped cap Yellow and White (halved), sleeves reversed, Red and White striped cap Royal blue, white chevron, light blue cap
Bahri Ridgewood Pearl Soviet Line
1994
Royal blue, white epaulets, striped cap Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Royal Blue, Light Blue cap
Maroof Barathea Bigstone
1993
Royal Blue, Light Blue cap Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Dark blue, light blue cross belts, striped sleeves, white cap
Bigstone Barathea Kingmambo
1992
Royal blue, white epaulets, striped cap Black, white sleeves, red cap, black star White, Emerald green Hoop, White Sleeves, White Cap
Lahib Brief Truce Selkirk
1991
White, Emerald green Hoop, White Sleeves, White Cap Red, white triple diamond, light blue sleeves, white cap Royal blue, white epaulets, striped cap
Selkirk Kooyonga Shadayid
1990–1982
1990
Brown, beige chevrons, brown sleeves and cap Dark green, white chevron and sleeves, white cap, green star Green, red armlets and cap
Markofdistinction Distant Relative Green Line Express
1989
Royal blue, white chevron, white cap, blue star Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Dark green, white chevron and sleeves, white cap, green star
Zilzal Polish Precedent Distant Relative
1988
Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Yellow, blue diamonds on body and diamond on cap
Warning Salse Persian Heights
1987
Black, white spots, black sleeves, white cap Dark blue, light blue cross-belts, striped sleeves, white cap Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star
Milligram Miesque Sonic Lady
1986
Maroon, white sleeves, maroon cap, white star Black, White cap Blue and white stripes, quartered cap
Sure Blade Teleprompter Efisio
1985
Royal blue, white chevron, light blue cap Black, White cap Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves
Shadeed Teleprompter Zaizafon
1984
Black, White cap Royal blue, white hoops and sleeves, royal blue cap Yellow, navy blue braces, striped cap
Teleprompter Katies Sackford
1983
Yellow, navy blue braces, striped cap Green, pink sash and cap, white sleeves Red and blue (quartered), white sleeves, black cap
Sackford Adonijah Montekin
1982
White, red cross of lorraine and cap with green star Light blue, pink cross-belts and sleeves, quartered cap Emerald green, royal blue sleeves, white cap, emerald green spots
Buzzards Bay Noalcoholic Achieved
 

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to take place as part of British Champions Day each year in October.

History

The event was established in 1955, and it was originally held in September. It was created when a race called the Knights' Royal Stakes[1] was renamed in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. The first three winners were all trained in France.

The present system of race grading was introduced in 1971, and the "QEII" was initially given Group 2 status. It was promoted to Group 1 level in 1987.

The race was added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2008. From this point the winner earned an automatic invitation to compete in the Breeders' Cup Mile. It was removed from the series in 2012.

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes was switched to October in 2011. It became part of a new fixture called British Champions Day, and its prize fund was increased fourfold to £1,000,000. It now serves as the mile-category final of the British Champions Series.

Records

Most successful horse (2 wins):

Leading jockey (8 wins):

Leading trainer (5 wins):

Leading owner (5 wins):

Winners since 1970

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time
1970 Welsh Pageant 4 Sandy Barclay Noel Murless Jim Joel 1:42.10
1971 Brigadier Gerard 3 Joe Mercer Dick Hern Jean Hislop 1:41.39
1972 Brigadier Gerard 4 Joe Mercer Dick Hern Jean Hislop 1:39.90
1973 Jan Ekels 4 Jimmy Lindley Guy Harwood Anthony Bodie 1:47.20
1974 no race [a]
1975 Rose Bowl 3 Willie Carson Fulke Johnson Houghton Jane Engelhard 1:49.00
1976 Rose Bowl 4 Willie Carson Fulke Johnson Houghton Jane Engelhard 1:43.50
1977 Trusted 4 Willie Carson John Dunlop Duchess of Norfolk 1:41.40
1978 Homing 3 Willie Carson Dick Hern 2nd Baron Rotherwick 1:40.40
1979 Kris 3 Joe Mercer Henry Cecil Lord Howard de Walden 1:40.69
1980 Known Fact 3 Willie Carson Jeremy Tree Khalid Abdullah 1:40.02
1981 To-Agori-Mou 3 Lester Piggott Guy Harwood Andry Muinos 1:46.80
1982 Buzzards Bay 4 Walter Swinburn Hugh Collingridge Vera McKinney
1983 Sackford 3 Greville Starkey Guy Harwood Anthony Bodie 1:39.90
1984 Teleprompter 4 Willie Carson Bill Watts 18th Earl of Derby 1:42.96
1985 Shadeed 3 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute Maktoum Al Maktoum 1:38.80
1986 Sure Blade 3 Brent Thomson Barry Hills Sheikh Mohammed 1:41.71
1987 Milligram 3 Pat Eddery Michael Stoute Helena Springfield Ltd 1:40.04
1988 Warning 3 Pat Eddery Guy Harwood Khalid Abdullah 1:40.51
1989 Zilzal 3 Walter Swinburn Michael Stoute Mana Al Maktoum 1:40.57
1990 Markofdistinction 4 Frankie Dettori Luca Cumani Gerald Leigh 1:39.70
1991 Selkirk 3 Ray Cochrane Ian Balding George Strawbridge 1:44.34
1992 Lahib 4 Willie Carson John Dunlop Hamdan Al Maktoum 1:44.50
1993 Bigstone 3 Pat Eddery Élie Lellouche Daniel Wildenstein 1:42.89
1994 Maroof 4 Richard Hills Robert Armstrong Hamdan Al Maktoum 1:42.75
1995 Bahri 3 Willie Carson John Dunlop Hamdan Al Maktoum 1:40.54
1996 Mark of Esteem 3 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:40.95
1997 Air Express 3 Olivier Peslier Clive Brittain Mohamed Obaida 1:40.90
1998 Desert Prince 3 Olivier Peslier David Loder Lucayan Stud 1:39.63
1999 Dubai Millennium 3 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:46.24
2000 Observatory 3 Kevin Darley John Gosden Khalid Abdullah 1:41.40
2001 Summoner 4 Richard Hills Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:44.54
2002 Where Or When 3 Kevin Darley Terry Mills John Humphreys 1:41.37
2003 Falbrav 5 Darryll Holland Luca Cumani Rencati / Yoshida 1:38.99
2004 Rakti 5 Philip Robinson Michael Jarvis Gary Tanaka 1:39.82
2005 Starcraft [b] 5 Christophe Lemaire Luca Cumani The Australian Syndicate 1:37.87
2006 George Washington 3 Michael Kinane Aidan O'Brien Magnier / Tabor / Smith 1:40.06
2007 Ramonti 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:42.45
2008 Raven's Pass 3 Jimmy Fortune John Gosden Princess Haya of Jordan 1:38.94
2009 Rip Van Winkle 3 Johnny Murtagh Aidan O'Brien Magnier / Tabor / Smith 1:38.82
2010 Poet's Voice 3 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 1:39.76
2011 Frankel 3 Tom Queally Sir Henry Cecil Khalid Abdullah 1:39.45
2012 Excelebration 4 Joseph O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Smith / Magnier / Tabor 1:42.33
2013 Olympic Glory 3 Richard Hughes Richard Hannon Sr. Sheikh Joaan al Thani 1:44.18
2014 Charm Spirit 3 Olivier Peslier Freddy Head Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani 1:46.28
2015 Solow 5 Maxime Guyon Freddy Head Wertheimer et Frère 1:41.92
2016 Minding 3 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien Magnier / Tabor / Smith 1:38.53
2017 Persuasive 4 Frankie Dettori John Gosden Cheveley Park Stud 1:46.13
2018 Roaring Lion 3 Oisin Murphy John Gosden Qatar Racing 1:42.48
2019 King of Change 3 Sean Levey Richard Hannon Jr. Ali Abdulla Saeed 1:44.88
2020 The Revenant 5 Pierre-Charles Boudot Francis-Henri Graffard Al Asayl France 1:45.13
2021 Baaeed 3 Jim Crowley William Haggas Shadwell Estate 1:42.57
2022 Bayside Boy 3 Tom Marquand Roger Varian Teme Valley & Ballylinch Stud 1:45.53
2023 Big Rock 3 Aurélien Lemaitre Christopher Head Yeguada Centurion SL 1:44.58
  1. ^ The 1974 running was abandoned because of a waterlogged course
  2. ^ The 2005 edition was held at Newmarket

Earlier winners

Knights' Royal Stakes

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

  1. ^ a b The 1960 and 1963 runnings took place at Newbury

See also

References

  1. ^ "Knights' Royal Stakes". Glasgow Herald. 25 September 1954. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  • galopp-sieger.de – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (ex Knights' Royal Stakes).
  • horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (2018).
  • pedigreequery.com – Queen Elizabeth II Stakes – Ascot.
  • Abelson, Edward; Tyrrel, John (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. p. 187. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.
  • Race Recordings [1]
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