We had a tremendous winner last year in the FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup run at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Romantic Warrior won the race back to back. The 2024 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday has plenty to live up to.
2024 FWD QUEEN ELIZABETH II CUP - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the middle distance horses at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is run over 2000m. It was first run in 1975 and was at 2200m up to 1997.
In 1975 Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Hong Kong for a state visit. To mark the event, on 5 May, the Hong Kong Jockey Club staged the inaugural running of the Queen Elizabeth Cup, with a prize fund of HK$50,000.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup was initially at Happy Valley.
The race, which moved to Sha Tin in 1979, was in fact staged twice in 1986, first in April and then in October when Queen Elizabeth was once again in attendance, that time to see Forever Gold win a 1600m renewal. In April 1992 the contest was raised to HKG2 level and River Verdon won that mile edition.
Three years later the race was opened up to international competition, as a local G1 contest.
Audemars Piguet stepped up to partner with the QEII Cup in 1999 and the race attained international G2 status. They finished their sponsorship in 2019.
It became Hong Kong's fourth international G1 race in 2001, the year in which the German raider Silvano took the winner's share of the HK$10 million purse under Andreas Suborics.
With five wins, John Moore is the most successful QEII Cup trainer in the past 30 years (2016 Werther, 2014 Designs On Rome, 2013 Military Attack, 2007 & 2010 Viva Pataca).
Just since the turn of the century, some of the great jockeys of the world have saluted including Michael Kinane, Ryan Moore, Douglas Whyte, Hugh Bowman, Joao Moreira and Zac Purton.
Hong Kong runners have won 10 of the past 14 editions of the QEII Cup, with four of them claiming that same season's Horse of the Year title (2011 Ambitious Dragon, 2013 Military Attack, 2014 Designs On Rome, 2016 Werther).
Neorealism's win in 2017 gave Japan a fourth QEII Cup, making that country the overseas jurisdiction with the most wins, followed by South Africa with three. Japan have won two more since then.
When Japanese trainer Noriyuki Hori saddled Neorealism to win the QEII Cup in 2017 he became the first overseas trainer to win five G1s in Hong Kong.
Win Bright, at 50-1, made it five Japanese wins with a slashing win in 2019 breaking the race and track record in the process running 1:58.81.
Five horses – Romantic Warrior (2022), Werther (2016), Designs On Rome (2014), Ambitious Dragon (2011) and Vengeance Of Rain (2005) - have completed the Hong Kong Derby and QEII Cup double in the same year.
Australian rider Tommy Berry became the first Club Jockey to win a G1 on the first day of his contract when he partnered Military Attack to win this race in 2013.
Only six favourites have won the QEII Cup since it became a 2000m race in 1997, the last being Romantic Warrior in 2023.
South African raider Irridescence, successful in 2006, was the only filly or mare to have won the QEII Cup before Loves Only You. That Japanese mare later in 2021 won the Breeders Cup F&M and then the Hong Kong Cup to end her career.
The 2019 running was an extraordinary edition as Win Bright from Japan won and he would win the HK Cup on International day. Exultant would win the Champions & Chater Cup afterwards while Lys Gracieux famously won the Cox Plate and Arima Kinen.
Japan sent four horses to HK for the 2021 running and they filled the first four placings in a field of seven.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup was worth HK$28m in 2024.
Some notable winners of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup include Romantic Warrior (2022/2023), Loves Only You (2021), Exultant (2020), Pakistan Star (2018), Neorealism (2017), Werther (2016), Blazing Speed (2015), Designs On Rome (2014), Military Attack (2013), Ambitious Dragon (2011), Viva Pataca (2007/2010), Presvis (2009), Vengeance Of Rain (2005), Eishin Preston (2002/2003), Jim And Tonic (1999) and River Verdon (1992).
The 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Cup was won by Romantic Warrior from Prognosis and Dubai Honour.
