Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Odds

One of four Group 1 contests on Champions Day at Ascot, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is the final race of the Mile category of the British Champions Stakes, and you can find the latest odds for the 2020 renewal here a little closer to the time. 

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Tips 

King of Change was an authoritative winner of the 2019 QEII Stakes for the Richard Hannon team, returning home as a 12/1 winner, and our tip for the 2020 renewal will appear here closer to the time.

What is the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes? 

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 horse race run over a trip of one mile at Ascot in October. Held on Champions Day, the race is commonly known as the final of the mile category in the British Champions Series, and that as a result it attracts the best horses in training each autumn - with £1.1 million in prize money on offer. 

What happened in the 2019 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes? 

The one-mile division has been without a standout star for quite some time now, and the 16-runner 2019 renewal felt wide open. The market was headed by the Godolphin-owned Benbatl, who had produced some very strong form when winning the Group 1 Caulfield Cup in Australia in 2018, and lined up as a 7/2 favourite after producing an excellent effort to win the Group 2 Joel Stakes on reappearance at Newmarket the previous month. 

Benbatl, like several others, failed to land a blow in soft conditions, however, leaving the finish to be fought out between French raider The Revenant, and the Richard Hannon-trained King of Change. The latter had made just one start coming into this since finishing a fine 66/1 second in the 2000 Guineas back in May, winning a listed contest at Sandown in September, but he took the step into an open-age Group 1 contest in his stride, duly winning with plenty of authority. He will be a four-year-old next year, and will be a force to be reckoned with provided connections opt to keep him in training. 

The history of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes 

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes has a long and varied history since it was established in 1955, and it has grown into one of the highlights of the season.

Originally a Group 2 contest run in September, the race was upgraded to Group 1 status in 1987, before being moved to its present position in October when the new Champions Day fixture was created back in 2011.

There have been a number of memorable winners of the race over the years, including the legendary Brigadier Gerard, who won the race in consecutive years in 1971 and 1972 for Dick Hern and Joe Mercer. In more modern times there have been a number of legendary winners of the race, including Dubai Millennium (1999), Raven’s Pass (2008) and Rip Van Winkle (2009).

Who is the most iconic winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes? 

We have already mentioned a number of the famous winners of the race, but once again there is no doubt that it is Frankel who stands alone.

The famous horse won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in remarkable fashion back in 2011 to bring to a close a stunning three-year-old season with one of his best-ever wins. The Sir Henry Cecil-trained colt managed to beat Excelebration by four lengths, which was top drawer form that cemented Frankel as a superstar of the equine world.

Frankel would go onto achieve even bigger things the following year, stepping up to ten furlongs and remaining unbeaten in 14 career starts, but there is no doubt that his QEII win in 2011 remains one of the highlights of one of the great careers in the history of the sport.

Are there any trials for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes? 

The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is the finale of the Mile category of the British Champions Series, and as such the route to the race is pretty defined. Contenders for the QEII tend to take their chance in some of the top mile races earlier in the season, which include the 2000 Guineas, the St James's Palace Stakes, the Lockinge Stakes and the Queen Anne Stakes. 

Who is the most successful jockey in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes? 

The legendary Willie Carson is the winning most jockey in the history of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with eight wins to his name during one of the great riding careers. Carson crossed the line first on Rose Bowl (1975, 1976), Trusted (1977), Homing (1978), Known Fact (1980), Teleprompter (1984), Lahib (1992) and Bahri (1995) during his career.

Who is the most successful trainer in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes? 

Saeed bin Suroor has had a stunning career for Godolphin in the UK ,and that is highlighted by his record in the QEII. The Godolpin handler has picked up five wins in the race with Mark of Esteem (1996), Dubai Millennium (1999), Summoner (2001), Ramonti (2007) and Poet's Voice (2010) so far during his career.