King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes
| Group 1 race | |
| Location |
Ascot Racecourse Ascot, England |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1951 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | QIPCO |
| Website | Ascot |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1m 4f (2,414 metres) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and up |
| Weight | 8 st 9 lb (3yo); 9 st 7 lb (4yo+) Allowances 3 lb for fillies and mares 4 lb for S. Hemisphere 4yo |
| Purse |
£1,150,000 (2016) 1st: £689,027 |
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile and 4 furlongs (2,414 metres), and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
It is Britain's most prestigious open-age flat race, and its roll of honour features some of the most highly acclaimed horses of the sport's recent history. The 1975 running, which involved a hard-fought battle to the finish between Grundy and Bustino, is frequently described as the "race of the century". Many of its winners subsequently compete in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and a number go on to have a successful career at stud. The race is often informally referred to as the "King George".
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 consort Queen Elizabeth, was a 1½-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 1½ 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.
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