Queen Alexandra Stakes

The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in the United Kingdom for four-year-old and above thoroughbreds. It is run over a distance of 2 mile 5 furlongs and 159 yards (4,370 m) at Ascot Racecourse during the Royal Ascot meeting in June.

The race named in honour of Queen Alexandra (1844–1925), Queen Consort of King Edward VII. It was originally titled the Alexandra Stakes and was given its present name in 1931.

It is traditionally the last race of the Royal Ascot meeting and is the longest flat race run in the United Kingdom. Until 2004 it was run over a distance of 2 miles 6 furlongs and 34 yards. When the Royal Ascot meeting was staged at York Racecourse in 2005 during Ascot’s redevelopment the race was run over 2 miles 6 furlongs and on its return to Ascot in 2006 the course re-alignment had reduced the distance to 2 miles 5 furlongs and 159 yards. It was suggested that the Marathon Handicap at Pontefract Racecourse might be run over a longer distance in 2007, but at 2 miles 5 furlongs and 122 yards it remains slightly shorter than the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

The extreme distance of the race tends to attract a varied field and runners often come from the ranks of hurdlers well as pattern race winners. It is also often contested by horses who have run in the Ascot Stakes earlier in the Royal meeting and in 2006 Baddam became the first horse to win both races in the same year since 1978.

The most notable winner of the Queen Alexandra Stakes was Brown Jack who won the race on six consecutive occasions from 1929 to 1934.

Winners since 1986

* The 2005 race took place at York Racecourse.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=5857 PedigreeQuery.com]
* Racing Post:
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=91395&r_date=1988-6-17 1988] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=95633&r_date=1989-6-23 1989] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=100114&r_date=1990-6-22 1990] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=104910&r_date=1991-6-21 1991] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=109670&r_date=1992-6-19 1992] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=114692&r_date=1993-6-18 1993] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=119810&r_date=1994-6-17 1994] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=125350&r_date=1995-6-23 1995] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=204160&r_date=1996-6-21 1996] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=239588&r_date=1997-6-20 1997]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=252779&r_date=1998-6-19 1998] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=268137&r_date=1999-6-18 1999] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=282744&r_date=2000-6-23 2000] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=302068&r_date=2001-6-22 2001] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=317780&r_date=2002-6-22 2002] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=334145&r_date=2003-6-21 2003] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=353108&r_date=2004-6-19 2004] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=386238&r_date=2005-6-18 2005] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=410611&r_date=2006-6-24 2006] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=434482&r_date=2007-6-23 2007]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=459429&r_date=2008-6-21 2008]

ee also

* Horseracing in Great Britain
* List of British flat horse races