- Queen Elizabeth II Cup
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a
Group One Thoroughbred horse race atSha Tin Racecourse in theNew Territories ,Hong Kong . Established in 1975 by theRoyal Hong Kong Jockey Club , it is run annually in April at a distance of 2,000 metres (tenfurlong s) on turf. Prior to 1997 it was run at 2,200 metres (eleven furlongs). Sponsored by renowned Swiss WatchmakerAudemars Piguet since 1999, it currently offers a purse of HK$14 million (US$1.8 million).The Queen Elizabeth II Cup was first run at the
Happy Valley Racecourse inHappy Valley, Hong Kong to commemorate a visit to Hong Kong byQueen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. It evolved to an international event in 1995, with Hong Kong horses competing against those from theUnited Arab Emirates , theUnited Kingdom ,France ,Japan andAustralia .Since becoming a Group One race in 2001, every winner of the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup has been a descendant of
Northern Dancer . The 2006 race sawIrridescence upset the greatfilly andEuropean Horse of the Year , Ouija Board.Winners since 1995
Earlier winners
* 1975 - Nazakat
* 1976 - Super Win
* 1977 - Wing Take
* 1978 - Nazakat
* 1979 - Go-Getter
* 1980 - Allegro
* 1981 - Classic Boy
* 1982 - Alex Flyer
* 1983 - Fire Ball
* 1984 - Yau Wai
* 1985 - Champion Joker
* 1986 - Powerhouse
* 1987 - Forever Gold
* 1988 - Top Grade
* 1989 - Star Mark
* 1990 - Quicken Away
* 1991 - Galway
* 1992 -River Verdon
* 1993 - Muhim
* 1994 - DeerfieldReferences
* [http://www.godolphin.com/big_race_focus21.asp Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Goldolphin Racing's website]
* [http://special.hkjc.com/promo/en/2006_qeii/qe06_index.asp The Hong Kong Jockey Clubs official website for the Queen Elizabeth II Cup]
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