King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Group 1 race | |
Location | Ascot Racecourse Ascot, England |
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Inaugurated | 1951 |
Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
Sponsor | QIPCO |
Website | Ascot |
Race information | |
Distance | 1m 3f 211y (2,406 metres) |
Surface | Turf |
Track | Right-handed |
Qualification | Three-years-old and up |
Weight | 8 st 10 lb (3yo); 9 st 7 lb (4yo+) Allowances 3 lb for fillies and mares 4 lb for S. Hemisphere 4yo |
Purse | £875,000 (2021) 1st: £496,213 |
2021 | ||
Adayar | Mishriff | Love |
showPrevious years |
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show2010-2001 |
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show2000-1991 |
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show1990-1981 |
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show1980-1971 |
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show1970-1961 |
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show1960-1951 |
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The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth 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 3 furlongs and 211 yards (2,406 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
It is Britain's most prestigious open-age flat race, and its roll of honour features some of the most highly acclaimed horses of the sport's recent history. The 1975 running, which involved a hard-fought battle to the finish between Grundy and Bustino, is frequently described as the "race of the century".[1] Many of its winners subsequently compete in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and a number go on to have a successful career at stud. The race is often informally referred to as the "King George".
History[]
The event was formed as the result of an amalgamation of two separate races at Ascot which were established in 1946 and 1948.[2] The first of these, named after King George VI, was a 2-mile contest for three-year-olds held in October. The second, in honour of his wife, Queen Elizabeth, was a one and a half-mile event staged in July. The idea was conceived by Major John Crocker Bulteel, the Clerk of the Course at Ascot, who wanted to create an important international race over one and a half miles for horses aged three or older. The inaugural running of the combined race took place on 21 July 1951. In its first year, to commemorate the Festival of Britain, it was titled the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Festival of Britain Stakes.
During the early part of its history the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was not commercially sponsored. Its first period of sponsorship started in 1972, when it began a long association with the diamond company De Beers. The word "Diamond" was added to the race's title when permission for its inclusion was given by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975. It became known as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and De Beers continued to back the event until 2006.
The online betting company Betfair started to sponsor the King George in 2009,[3] and its prize fund was increased from £750,000 to £1,000,000. It is now Britain's second richest horse race, with a purse exceeded only by that of The Derby.
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes became part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2011. The winner now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the same year's Breeders' Cup Turf.[4]
Most successful horse (3 wins):
- Enable – 2017, 2019, 2020
Leading jockey (7 wins):
- Lester Piggott – Meadow Court (1965), Aunt Edith (1966), Park Top (1969), Nijinsky (1970), Dahlia (1974), The Minstrel (1977), Teenoso (1984)
- Frankie Dettori – Lammtarra (1995), Swain (1998), Daylami (1999), Doyen (2004), Enable (2017, 2019, 2020)
Leading trainer (6 wins):
- Sir Michael Stoute – Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993), Golan (2002), Conduit (2009), Harbinger (2010), Poet's Word (2018)
Leading owner (6 wins): (includes part ownership)
- Michael Tabor – Montjeu (2000), Galileo (2001), Hurricane Run (2006), Dylan Thomas (2007), Duke of Marmalade (2008), Highland Reel (2016)
Winners[]
Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1951 | Supreme Court | 3 | Charlie Elliott | Evan Williams | Vera Lilley | 2:29.40 |
1952 | Tulyar | 3 | Charlie Smirke | Marcus Marsh | HH Aga Khan III | 2:33.00 |
1953 | Pinza | 3 | Sir Gordon Richards | Norman Bertie | Sir Victor Sassoon | 2:34.00 |
1954 | Aureole | 4 | Eph Smith | Cecil Boyd-Rochfort | Queen Elizabeth II | 2:44.00 |
1955 | Vimy | 3 | Roger Poincelet | Alec Head | Pierre Wertheimer | 2:33.76 |
1956 | Ribot | 4 | Enrico Camici | Ugo Penco | Mario della Rocchetta | 2:40.24 |
1957 | Montaval | 4 | Freddie Palmer | Georges Bridgland | Ralph B. Strassburger | 2:41.02 |
1958 | Ballymoss | 4 | Scobie Breasley | Vincent O'Brien | John McShain | 2:36.33 |
1959 | Alcide | 4 | Harry Carr | Cecil Boyd-Rochfort | Sir Humphrey de Trafford | 2:31.39 |
1960 | Aggressor | 5 | Jimmy Lindley | Towser Gosden | Sir Harold Wernher | 2:35.21 |
1961 | Right Royal | 3 | Roger Poincelet | Etienne Pollet | Elisabeth Couturié | 2:40.34 |
1962 | Match | 4 | Yves Saint-Martin | François Mathet | François Dupré | 2:32.02 |
1963 | Ragusa | 3 | Garnie Bougoure | Paddy Prendergast | Jim Mullion | 2:33.80 |
1964 | Nasram | 4 | Bill Pyers | Ernie Fellows | Mrs Howell Jackson | 2:33.15 |
1965 | Meadow Court | 3 | Lester Piggott | Paddy Prendergast | Bell / McMahon / Crosby | 2:33.27 |
1966 | Aunt Edith | 4 | Lester Piggott | Noel Murless | John Hornung | 2:35.06 |
1967 | Busted | 4 | George Moore | Noel Murless | Stanhope Joel | 2:33.64 |
1968 | Royal Palace | 4 | Sandy Barclay | Noel Murless | Jim Joel | 2:33.22 |
1969 | Park Top | 5 | Lester Piggott | Bernard van Cutsem | 11th Duke of Devonshire | 2:32.46 |
1970 | Nijinsky | 3 | Lester Piggott | Vincent O'Brien | Charles Engelhard | 2:36.16 |
1971 | Mill Reef | 3 | Geoff Lewis | Ian Balding | Paul Mellon | 2:32.56 |
1972 | Brigadier Gerard | 4 | Joe Mercer | Dick Hern | Jean Hislop | 2:32.91 |
1973 | Dahlia | 3 | Bill Pyers | Maurice Zilber | Nelson Bunker Hunt | 2:30.43 |
1974 | Dahlia | 4 | Lester Piggott | Maurice Zilber | Nelson Bunker Hunt | 2:33.03 |
1975 | Grundy | 3 | Pat Eddery | Peter Walwyn | Carlo Vittadini | 2:26.98 |
1976 | Pawneese | 3 | Yves Saint-Martin | Angel Penna Sr. | Daniel Wildenstein | 2:29.36 |
1977 | The Minstrel | 3 | Lester Piggott | Vincent O'Brien | Robert Sangster | 2:30.48 |
1978 | Ile de Bourbon | 3 | John Reid | Fulke Johnson Houghton | David McCall | 2:30.53 |
1979 | Troy | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Sobell / Weinstock | 2:33.75 |
1980 | Ela-Mana-Mou | 4 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Simon Weinstock | 2:35.39 |
1981 | Shergar | 3 | Walter Swinburn | Michael Stoute | HH Aga Khan IV | 2:35.40 |
1982 | Kalaglow | 4 | Greville Starkey | Guy Harwood | Tony Ward | 2:31.88 |
1983 | Time Charter | 4 | Joe Mercer | Henry Candy | Robert Barnett | 2:30.79 |
Teenoso | 4 | Lester Piggott | Geoff Wragg | Eric Moller | 2:27.95 | |
1985 | Petoski | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Lady Beaverbrook | 2:27.61 |
1986 | Dancing Brave | 3 | Pat Eddery | Guy Harwood | Khalid Abdullah | 2:29.49 |
1987 | Reference Point | 3 | Steve Cauthen | Henry Cecil | Louis Freedman | 2:34.63 |
1988 | Mtoto | 5 | Michael Roberts | Alec Stewart | Ahmed Al Maktoum | 2:37.33 |
1989 | Nashwan | 3 | Willie Carson | Dick Hern | Hamdan Al Maktoum | 2:32.27 |
1990 | Belmez | 3 | Michael Kinane | Henry Cecil | Sheikh Mohammed | 2:30.76 |
1991 | Generous | 3 | Alan Munro | Paul Cole | Prince Fahd bin Salman | 2:28.99 |
1992 | St Jovite | 3 | Stephen Craine | Jim Bolger | Virginia Kraft Payson | 2:30.85 |
1993 | Opera House | 5 | Michael Roberts | Michael Stoute | Sheikh Mohammed | 2:33.94 |
1994 | King's Theatre | 3 | Michael Kinane | Henry Cecil | Sheikh Moh'd / Poland [5] | 2:28.92 |
1995 | Lammtarra | 3 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Saeed bin M. Al Maktoum | 2:31.01 |
1996 | Pentire | 4 | Michael Hills | Geoff Wragg | Mollers Racing | 2:28.11 |
1997 | Swain | 5 | John Reid | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 2:36.45 |
1998 | Swain | 6 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 2:29.06 |
1999 | Daylami | 5 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 2:29.35 |
2000 | Montjeu | 4 | Michael Kinane | John Hammond | Michael Tabor | 2:29.98 |
2001 | Galileo | 3 | Michael Kinane | Aidan O'Brien | Magnier / Tabor | 2:27.71 |
2002 | Golan | 4 | Kieren Fallon | Michael Stoute | Exors of Lord Weinstock | 2:29.70 |
2003 | Alamshar | 3 | Johnny Murtagh | John Oxx | HH Aga Khan IV | 2:33.26 |
2004 | Doyen | 4 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor | Godolphin | 2:33.18 |
2005 | Azamour [a] | 4 | Michael Kinane | John Oxx | HH Aga Khan IV | 2:28.26 |
2006 | Hurricane Run | 4 | Christophe Soumillon | André Fabre | Michael Tabor | 2:30.29 |
2007 | Dylan Thomas | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | Aidan O'Brien | Magnier / Tabor | 2:31.11 |
2008 | Duke of Marmalade | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | Aidan O'Brien | Magnier / Tabor | 2:27.91 |
2009 | Conduit | 4 | Ryan Moore | Michael Stoute | Ballymacoll Stud | 2:28.73 |
2010 | Harbinger | 4 | Olivier Peslier | Michael Stoute | Highclere "Admiral Rous" | 2:26.78 |
2011 | Nathaniel | 3 | William Buick | John Gosden | Lady Rothschild | 2:35.07 |
2012 | Danedream | 4 | Andrasch Starke | Peter Schiergen | Burg Eberstein / Yoshida | 2:31.62 |
2013 | Novellist | 4 | Johnny Murtagh | Christoph Berglar | 2:24.60 | |
2014 | Taghrooda | 3 | Paul Hanagan | John Gosden | Hamdan Al Maktoum | 2:28.13 |
2015 | Postponed | 4 | Andrea Atzeni | Luca Cumani | Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum | 2:31.25 |
2016 | Highland Reel | 4 | Ryan Moore | Aidan O'Brien | Magnier / Tabor/ Smith | 2:28.97 |
2017 | Enable | 3 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Khalid Abdullah | 2:36.22 |
2018 | Poet's Word | 5 | James Doyle | Michael Stoute | Saeed Suhail | 2:25.84 |
2019 | Enable | 5 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Khalid Abdullah | 2:32.42 |
2020 | Enable | 6 | Frankie Dettori | John Gosden | Khalid Abdullah | 2:28.92 |
Adayar | 3 | William Buick | Charlie Appleby | Godolphin | 2:26.54 |
- ^ The 2005 running took place at Newbury
- The time of the 1962 race was incorrectly given on the day of the race as 2 min. 32.02 and corrected to 2 min. 37.02 in October 1962.
- Since 2006 the race has been run over the same distance but over a reconstructed course in the final two furlongs
See also[]
- Horse racing in Great Britain
- List of British flat horse races
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes top three finishers
References[]
- ^ Wood, Greg (27 July 2000). "Enduring greatness of Grundy v Bustino". The Independent. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ "King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes". tbheritage.com. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ Armytage, Marcus (3 December 2008). "New sponsor announced for classic". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ "2011 Breeders' Cup Challenge Schedule" (PDF). breederscup.com. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ Montgomery, Sue (24 July 1994). "Theatre's dramatic effect". The Independent. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- Paris-Turf:
- Racing Post:
- galopp-sieger.de – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
- horseracingintfed.com – International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Race Detail (2018).
- pedigreequery.com – King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes – Ascot.
- tbheritage.com – King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.
- Abelson, Edward; John Tyrrel (1993). The Breedon Book of Horse Racing Records. Breedon Books. pp. 122–123. ISBN 1-873626-15-0.
- Randall, John; Tony Morris (1985). Horse Racing: The Records. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. pp. 71–73. ISBN 0-85112-446-1.
- Race Recordings [1]
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes
- Flat races in Great Britain
- Ascot Racecourse
- Open middle distance horse races
- Breeders' Cup Challenge series
- Recurring sporting events established in 1951
- British Champions Series
- 1951 establishments in England