Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Updated on Dec 03, 2023

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Inaugurated 1955 Sponsor QIPCO Surface Turf		Race type Flat / Thoroughbred Website Ascot Distance 1,609 m
Location Ascot Racecourse Ascot, England

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 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):

Brigadier Gerard – 1971, 1972

Rose Bowl – 1975, 1976

Leading jockey (8 wins):

Willie Carson – Rose Bowl (1975, 1976), Trusted (1977), Homing (1978), Known Fact (1980), Teleprompter (1984), Lahib (1992), Bahri (1995)

Leading trainer (5 wins):

Saeed bin Suroor – Mark of Esteem (1996), Dubai Millennium (1999), Summoner (2001), Ramonti (2007), Poet's Voice (2010)

Leading owner (5 wins):

Godolphin – Mark of Esteem (1996), Dubai Millennium (1999), Summoner (2001), Ramonti (2007), Poet's Voice (2010)

Winners since 1970

^a The 1974 running was abandoned because of a waterlogged course.
^b The 2005 edition was held at Newmarket.