ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Winners and Past Results for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Australian horse race run at weight for age.

The 2000 meter open race is held on the same day as the Australian Oaks during the autumn racing carnival with $4,000,000 in prize money at stake making it the world's richest turf race over 2000 metres. Other feature races of the day include the Group 1 AJC Queen Of The Turf Stakes and the Sydney Cup.

The race attracts a classy field of middle distance gallopers where level weights make it a keen contest and a feast for race goers seeking to make it big on the carnival.

Among the outstanding horses to win the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes include Our Poetic Prince in 1989, Rough Habit in 1992, Durbridge in 1994, Might and Power in 1998, and Lonhro in 2003. Two of the seven Group 1 races won by Grand Armee include the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2004 and 2005.

Quality horses usually enter the fray from other middle distance races such as the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap held at Randwick a week earlier. Other events that are a good lead up to the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes are the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes, AJC Derby, and Rosehill Guineas.

Horses from these preceding events are better suited over the 2000 meter distance. The 2011 AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner, a UK import, My Kingdom of Fife caused a major upset in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude over 1600 meters, winning the event on his first run in Australia after returning from a spell.

Other notable winners who went on to greater success in the Melbourne Cup include the 1995 champion, Jeune, Doriemus in 1996 and Might And Power in 1998.

Cossakc won the inaugural event which was a principal race known as the AJC Queen’s Plate and repeated the feat the next year. During this time horses travelled the grueling distance of 24 furlongs, where only the toughest stayers managed to hit the winning post first. Sportsman picked up from where Cossakc left off to win the next two races in 1853 and 1854. Tim Whiffler, Carbine, David, Tulloch, and a few other champion thoroughbreds also won two or more AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes during the their racing career.

The race was elevated to Group 1 status in 1980 with Grand Armee the only horse to score a double ever since.