Together with Royal attendance and an unrivalled fashion parade, the international flavour sets Royal Ascot apart from the summer racing crowd. In recent years, one of the races to best represent the global vibe is the Saturday feature of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Offering a handsome £1,000,000 in total prize money, this Group 1, 6f affair attracts runners from far and wide. With 18 wins since 2000, the hosts have dominated the contest. However, considering the strength in numbers of the British runners, the overseas raiders boast an admirable recent record in this Saturday sizzler.
Since 2000, runners from Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, and the USA have claimed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes trophy. Looking ahead to the 2025 edition, the Brits will need to be on their A-game to repel a very strong international challenge.
Lazzat Leads the Way for France
If the prize is to head overseas, the betting suggests that France is the most likely destination. Hailing from the yard of Jerome Reynier, the four-year-old Lazzat advertised his credentials for this when blitzing the field in the 2024 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Stepping up in trip didn’t work out after that, as he failed to hit the target in three outings. However, an easy win at Chantilly on his seasonal return suggests he remains a force at 6f. With James Doyle in the saddle, he looks like a big player for his new owners, Wathnan Racing.
Whilst Lazzat has yet to race in Britain, fellow French raider Topgear successfully crossed the Channel to claim the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket last season. That resounding 5½l romp came over 7f, but a perfect three-from-three record over six furlongs suggests he should not be dismissed lightly. Trainer Christopher Head will hope to follow in the footsteps of his father, Freddy, who claimed the 1971 edition of this with the suitably regal King’s Company.
Different league! 🤯
Topgear floors it to win the Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards Challenge Stakes 🥇#ITVRacing | @NewmarketRace | @pasquito60 | @CHeadRacing pic.twitter.com/MRhA8dtAk4
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 11, 2024
With three wins over the opening three days, Oisin Murphy has been in his usual excellent form at Royal Ascot. With that trio of successes coming in handicaps, the champion jockey has the chance to top the lot aboard the Andre Fabre-trained Sajir. Thrusting his name into the mix with a win in the Group 3 Abernant Stakes, he arrives on the back of a runners-up finish to Topgear at Longchamp. Fabre has yet to land this prize, but with wins in the Coronation Stakes, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, and Queen Anne Stakes, he knows what it takes to hit the target at the Royal Meeting.
Big in Japan: Can Satono Reve Strike in Britain?
In recent years, Japan has announced itself as a rising force in the racing world, with wins in the Dubai World Cup and at the Breeders’ Cup Festival. However, the Land of the Rising Sun has yet to taste Royal Ascot success – coming closest when Agnes World finished second in the 2000 King’s Stand Stakes. Perhaps the Noriyuki Hori-trained Satono Reve could be the horse to finally make the breakthrough.
“Magic Man” Joao Moreira jets in to take the ride aboard a horse who has won seven times over this trip in his homeland. Fully at home on quick turf, he found only the world’s highest-rated sprinter, Ka Ying Rising, too good last time out at Sha Tin. Anything close to a repeat of that effort should see him go close.
Storm Arrives from Australia via Ireland
Australian sprinters are amongst the best in the world – a view well-advertised by Choisir (2003) and Black Caviar (2012) in this event. Whilst officially running under the Aidan O’Brien banner, the ex-Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Mott runner Storm Boy has made 10 of his 11 career starts on the other side of the world.
A last of nine effort on his debut for O’Brien suggests he may be up against it. However, it is reasonable to expect improvement considering his stark change in scenery and the 217-day absence which preceded that outing. A three-time winner in his homeland, this son of Justify boasts a similar profile to the ex-Australian Merchant Navy, who came home in front for O’Brien in 2018.
Will the 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes provide an international success, or can the likes of Inisherin, Flora Of Bermuda, or Elite Status keep the prize on home soil? We will find out the on Saturday.
