King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes

History

The event was formed as the result of an amalgamation of two separate races at Ascot which were established in 1946 and 1948. The first of these, named after King George VI, was a 2-mile contest for three-year-olds held in October. The second, in honour of his wife, Queen Elizabeth, was a one and a half-mile event staged in July. The idea was conceived by Major John Crocker Bulteel, the Clerk of the Course at Ascot, who wanted to create an important international race over one and a half miles for horses aged three or older. The inaugural running of the combined race took place on 21 July 1951. In its first year, to commemorate the Festival of Britain, it was titled the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Festival of Britain Stakes.

During the early part of its history the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was not commercially sponsored. Its first period of sponsorship started in 1972, when it began a long association with the diamond company De Beers. The word "Diamond" was added to the race's title when permission for its inclusion was given by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975. It became known as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes, and De Beers continued to back the event until 2006.

The online betting company Betfair started to sponsor the King George in 2009, and its prize fund was increased from £750,000 to £1,500,000 in 2024 and from 2026, £2,000,000. From 2026, it will be Britain's joint richest horse race, alongside The Derby.

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes became part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series in 2011. The winner now earns an automatic invitation to compete in the same year's Breeders' Cup Turf. Most successful horse (3 wins):

• Enable – 2017, 2019, 2020

Leading jockey (7 wins):

• Lester Piggott – Meadow Court (1965), Aunt Edith (1966), Park Top (1969), Nijinsky (1970), Dahlia (1974), The Minstrel (1977), Teenoso (1984)
• Frankie Dettori – Lammtarra (1995), Swain (1998), Daylami (1999), Doyen (2004), Enable (2017, 2019, 2020)

Leading trainer (6 wins):

• Sir Michael Stoute – Shergar (1981), Opera House (1993), Golan (2002), Conduit (2009), Harbinger (2010), Poet's Word (2018)

Leading owner (6 wins): (includes part ownership)

• Michael Tabor – Montjeu (2000), Galileo (2001), Hurricane Run (2006), Dylan Thomas (2007), Duke of Marmalade (2008), Highland Reel (2016)

Winners

• The time of the 1962 race was incorrectly given on the day of the race as 2 min. 32.02 and corrected to 2 min. 37.02 in October 1962.
  • Since 2006 the race has been run over the same distance but over a reconstructed course in the final two furlongs

References

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References

1. Wood, Greg. (27 July 2000). "Enduring greatness of Grundy v Bustino". [[The Independent]].
2. "King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes". tbheritage.com.
3. Armytage, Marcus. (3 December 2008). "New sponsor announced for classic". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
4. "KING GEORGE VI AND QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES TO BECOME BRITAIN'S RICHEST RACE WORTH £2 MILLION IN 2026 {{!}} Ascot Racecourse".
5. (2025-12-12). "Epsom Derby: Prize money hits record £2m for 2026 race and free entry for chidlren".
6. "2011 Breeders' Cup Challenge Schedule". breederscup.com.
7. Montgomery, Sue. (24 July 1994). "Theatre's dramatic effect". [[The Independent]].