Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup

Queen Elizabeth II Cup
エリザベス女王杯
Grade 1 race
Location Kyoto Racecourse, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture
Inaugurated 1976
Race type Thoroughbred
Website japanracing.jp/
Race information
Distance 2200 meters
(About 11 furlongs / 1 3⁄8 miles)
Surface Turf
Track Right-handed
Qualification 3-y-o & Up, Fillies & Mares only, Thoroughbreds
Weight 3-y-o 54 kg \ 4-y-o & up 56 kg
Purse ¥ 172,000,000 (as of 2014)
1st: ¥ 90,000,000

The Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup until 2012) is an International Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbred fillies and mares run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately 1 mile 3 furlongs) on the turf at Kyoto Racecourse in November.

The race was first run in 1976 over a distance of 2,400 metres (1 mile 4 furlongs). It was originally for four-year-old fillies(:then) only and was the third leg of the Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown. In 1996, it was opened to older female horses and was reduced to its present distance. That same year the Shuka Sho was established and became the third leg of the Fillies' Triple Crown.

Since 1999 it turned into International Grade 1 race. In 2010 Snow Fairy from England, being the first winner outside Japan. The following year she made Japanese flat racing history of being the first ever non-Japanese trained horse to win the same Grade 1 flat race back-to-back (second ever including Steeplechase, which Karasi winning Nakayama Grand Jump between 2005-2007).

It is only Grade 1 race that can be entered by both 3-year old and 4-year old above fillies/mares. And one of the two Grade 1 races for older female horses in Japan (the other being the Victoria Mile).

Winners since 1996

Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Time
1996 Dance Partner 4 Hirofumi Shii Toshiaki Shirai Katsumi Yoshida 2:14.3
1997 Erimo Chic 4 Hitoshi Matoba Yoshio Oki Shinichi Yamamoto 2:12.5
1998 Mejiro Dober 4 Yutaka Yoshida Yokichi Okubo Mejiro Shoji 2:12.8
1999 Mejiro Dober 5 Yutaka Yoshida Yokichi Okubo Mejiro Shoji 2:13.5
2000 Phalaenopsis 5 Mikio Matsunaga Mitsumasa Hamada North Hills Management Co Ltd 2:12.8
2001 To the Victory 5 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee Makoto Kaneko 2:11.2
2002 Fine Motion 3 Yutaka Take Yuji Ito Tatsuo Fushikida 2:13.2
2003 Admire Groove 3 Yutaka Take Mitsuru Hashida Riichi Kondo 2:11.8
2004 Admire Groove 4 Yutaka Take Mitsuru Hashida Riichi Kondo 2:13.6
2005 Sweep Tosho 4 Kenichi Ikezoe Akio Tsurudome Tosho Sangyo 2:12.5
2006 Fusaichi Pandore * 3 Yuichi Fukunaga Toshiaki Shirai Fusao Sekiguchi 2:11.6
2007 Daiwa Scarlet 3 Katsumi Ando Kunihide Matsuda Keizo Oshiro 2:11.9
2008 Little Amapola 3 Christophe Lemaire Hiroyuki Nagahama Shadai Racehorse Co 2:12.1
2009 Queen Spumante 5 Hiroyasu Tanaka Shigeyuki Kojima Green Farm 2:13.6
2010 Snow Fairy 3 Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop Anamoine Ltd 2:12.5
2011 Snow Fairy 4 Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop Anamoine Ltd 2:11.6
2012 Rainbow Dahlia 5 Yoshitomi Shibata Yoshitaka Ninomiya Yoshiko Tanaka 2:16.3
2013 Meisho Mambo 3 Koshiro Take Akihiro Iida Yoshio Matsumoto 2:16.6
2014 Lachesis 4 Yuga Kawada Katsuhiko Sumii Masaya Oshima 2:12.3
* Kawakami Princess finished first in 2006 but was demoted to 12th place following a Stewards' Inquiry.

Earlier winners

  • 1976 - Diamante
  • 1977 - Inter Gloria
  • 1978 - Lead Swallow
  • 1979 - Miss Kaburaya
  • 1980 - Hagino Top Lady
  • 1981 - Agnes Tesco
  • 1982 - Victoria Crown
  • 1983 - Long Grace
  • 1984 - Kyowa Thunder
  • 1985 - Reward Wing
  • 1986 - Mejiro Ramonu
  • 1987 - Talented Girl
  • 1988 - Miyama Poppy
  • 1989 - Sand Peeress
  • 1990 - Kyoei Tap
  • 1991 - Rinden Lily
  • 1992 - Takeno Velvet
  • 1993 - Hokuto Vega
  • 1994 - Hishi Amazon
  • 1995 - Sakura Candle

External links