Tag Archive for: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes

Big Rock rolls to brilliant Queen Elizabeth II Stakes success

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There was yet another victory for France in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot as Big Rock delivered a devastating display on Qipco British Champions Day.

Often the bridesmaid when racing at the highest level this year, the son of Rock Of Gibraltar had finished second in the Prix du Jockey Club, Prix Jacques le Marois and Prix du Moulin in his last three starts.

However, Christopher Head’s brilliant colt finally got his moment in the spotlight, making every yard in the one-mile Group One feature.

Immediately taking his customary position at the head of proceedings, his rivals were left chasing shadows as big-race jockey Aurelien Lemaitre kept upping the tempo.

Having built up a healthy lead, it was Dermot Weld’s Tahiyra who decided to break cover from the pack first, with Chris Hayes setting the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine in pursuit.

But there was no catching Big Rock (5-1) who kept on galloping in the rain-softened ground to register an emphatic six-length success and also lead home a French one-two, as Jerome Reynier’s Facteur Cheval stayed on past a tiring Tahiyra in the dying strides to grab the silver medal.

Short-priced favourite Paddington beat only two home, one of those being 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean.

Aurelien Lemaitre thrilled in victory with Big Rock
Aurelien Lemaitre thrilled in victory with Big Rock (John Walton/PA)

“That was tremendous! Big Rock always does this, it’s crazy. What a horse, what a season. He does very well on that type of ground but that was quite impressive, very impressive, what a horse,” said a jubilant Head.

“You’re always a bit scared that the race is going to close in on you, but we’ve known him for the whole season and he’s always been like this. It’s very nice to see him winning this race because it was one of the best mile (races) in Europe.

“I’m very happy for the owner, he’s the breeder. I’m very happy, this is such a nice place to win.”

Weld, meanwhile, was proud of Tahiyra’s effort in defeat.

“She’s run a brilliant race, we’re delighted with her, it was just the conditions on the mile were very testing and she didn’t really handle the ground. She tries so hard, she’s a brilliant filly,” he said.

A big pat for Big Rock!
A big pat for Big Rock! (John Walton/PA)

“She has that will to win, someone had to go after the horse in front and she said she would!

“I suppose all the riders thought the one in front couldn’t keep going, but Chris said after two furlongs everything was off the bridle, it wasn’t as if they were all sitting waiting.

“Chris felt he had to go after him and it’s always very difficult when you are the one leading the pack, it’s like in cycling, it leaves you open to be caught from those in behind.

“We’ll see how she comes out of the race and then we’ll make a decision if she comes back next year.”

Hayes added: “It was an unusual race, he had us all under pressure – he set a very tempo on very testing ground. I’m very proud of my filly – on ground she hated, she wouldn’t accept defeat, she kept trying to the line.

“Hopefully she’s there next year; she’s a remarkable filly.”

Paddington failed to fire on his return
Paddington failed to fire on his return (David Davies/PA)

Aidan O’Brien’s multiple Group One winner Paddington was sent off the 7-4 market leader but was beaten 35 lengths by the winner.

However, the Ballydoyle handler felt the colt had a “legitimate excuse” on what was his first start in 59 days.

O’Brien said: “He might have been a bit fresh. He jumped (out the stalls) and locked on with Ryan (Moore) and he doesn’t usually do that. He was a shade slow, but when he jumped, he just grabbed the bit and wouldn’t let it go. He didn’t let it go for the first half of the race and in that ground, you can’t do that.

“It’s a good while since he ran and he is definitely going to improve on the run. I would be very happy, it’s a very legitimate excuse for me.

“The lads will have to decide now if go again with him and go to the Breeders’ Cup or if we leave him at that. He obviously doesn’t have anything to prove to anybody.”



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Ascot Champions Day Trends | Saturday 21st Oct 2023

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It’s Qipco Champions Day at Ascot this Saturday – one of the big highlights towards the end of the flat turf season with four Group One races, including the Qipco Champion Stakes and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, to look forward to.

So as always - here at Geegeez - we’ll have all the LIVE races covered from a trends angle - use these to help find the best profiles of past winners.

Ascot Horse Racing Trends (ITV)

1.15 - Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup (Group 2) Cl1 2m ITV

18/21 – Raced within the last 5 weeks
18/21 – Won at Listed or better class previously
17/21 – Winning distance – 1 1/2 lengths or less
16/21 – Won at least 5 times previously
15/21 – Returned 9/2 or shorter
15/21 – Favourites placed
14/21 – Aged 5 or older
14/21 – Won over at least 2 miles on the flat previously
11/21 – Raced at least 5 times that season
10/21 – Won their latest race
10/21 – Raced at Longchamp (4), Ascot (2) or Doncaster (4) last time out
10/21 – Favourites that won (1 joint)
6/21 – Irish-trained winners (6 of the last 12)
4/21 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien
3/21 – Ridden by Frankie Dettori (2 of the last 8)
3/21 – Trained by Alan King (last 3)
3/21 – Ridden by Hollie Doyle (last 3)
2/21 – Trained by Dermot Weld
2/21 – Trained by John Gosden (2 of the last 8)
2022 Winner: Trueshan (11/8 fav)
Trueshan won the race in 2020, 2021 and 2022
Since 2011: 6 of the last 12 winners came from stalls 2-4 (inc)
The average winning odds in the last 10 runnings is 6/1

1.50 - Qipco British Champions Sprint Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 6f ITV

20/21 – Won at least 3 times previously
19/21 – Won over 6f previously
19/21 –  Raced within the last 6 weeks
19/21 – Raced at least 4 times that season
18/21 – Won at Listed or better class previously
17/21 – Returned 12/1 or shorter
16/21 – Finished in the top 4 in their latest race
16/21 – Raced at Ascot previously (3 won)
16/21 – Won a Group race previously
14/21 – Aged 3 or 4 years-old
13/21 – Raced at Haydock (8), Goodwood (2) or Newbury (3) last time out
12/21 – Favourites placed
5/21 – Won their latest race
5/21 – Favourites that won
2022 Winner: Kinross 3/1 fav
Since 2011: 4 of the last 12 winners have come from stalls 12 (2) or 14 (2)
Since 2011: 5 of the last 11 winners came from double-figure stalls
Since 2011: Horses from stalls 12 placed in 5 of the last 12 runnings
Since 2011: Horses from stalls 14 placed in 5 of the last 12 runnings
The average winning SP in the last 10 runnings is 11/1

Note: The 2005 renewal was run at Newmarket

2.25 - Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 1m4f ITV

15/15 – Raced 3 or more times that season
14/15 – Won at Listed or better class previously
12/15 – Raced within the last 9 weeks
12/15 – Returned 6/1 or shorter
12/15 – Won at least 3 times previously
11/15 – Rated 110 or higher
11/15 – Favourites placed
11/15 – Aged 3 years-old
10/15 – Finished 1st or 2nd in their last race
10/15 – Won over 1m4f previously
9/15 – Returned between 4/1 and 6/1
7/15 – Won their last race
5/15 – Favourites that won4/15 – Ridden by Ryan Moore
3/15 – Ridden by Frankie Dettori (3 of the last 7)
3/15 – Trained by John Gosden (2 of the last 7 runnings)
2/15 – Trained by Sir Michael Stoute
2/15 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien (2 of last 6 runnings)
2/15 – Ridden by Jim Crowley (2 of the last 9)
The average winning SP in the last 10 runnings is 7/1
2022 Winner: Emily Upjohn (3/1 fav)
The last 8 winners came between stalls 6-12 (inc)
3 of the last 12 winners came from stall 11
Note: The 2009 & 2010 renewals were run at Newmarket

3.05 - Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Group 1) Cl1 1m ITV

20/21 – Raced at least 3 times that season
19/21 – Aged 3 or 5 years-old
19/21 – Finished in the top three in their last race
18/21 – Raced at Goodwood, Longchamp or Leopardstown last time out
18/21 – Returned 7/1 or shorter
18/21 – Had won a Group 1 or 2 race previously
17/21 – Raced within the last 5 weeks
16/21 – Favourites placed
13/21 – Won their latest race
11/21 – Raced at Ascot previously (6 won)
10/21 – Won at least 7 times previously
9/21 – Favourites that won
7/21 – Raced at Goodwood last time out
4/21 – Trained by Aidan O’Brien
3/21 – Trained by John Gosden (4 in total)
3/21 – Ridden by Frankie Dettori
2/21 – Trained by the Hannon yard
Since 1988 only 2 Filly winners (Persuasive 2017 & Minding,  2016)
2022 Winner: Bayside Boy (33/1)
The average winning SP in the last 10 runnings is 15/2
3 of the last 9 winners were French-trained
11 of the last 14 winners came from stalls 2-8 (inc)
Since 2011: Horses from stall 2 and 7 have won 5 of the last 12 runnings
Note: The 2005 renewal was run at Newmarket

3.45 - Qipco Champion Stakes (British Champions Middle Distance) (Group 1) Cl1 1m2f ITV

21/21 – Won at least 4 times previously
19/21 – Won between 4 and 8 times previously
19/21 – Aged 5 or younger
18/21 – Won a Group 1 or 2 race previously
18/21 – Won over 1m2f previously
17/21 – Finished in the top 3 in their latest race
16/21 – Aged 3 or 4 years-old
15/21 – Raced within the last 6 weeks
15/21 – Raced 5 or more times that season
11/21 – Won their last race
9/21 – Raced at either Longchamp (6) or Goodwood (3) last time out
8/21 – Favourites unplaced
8/21 – Returned a double-figure price
6/21 – Favourites
5/21 – Won by a French-based trainer
3/21 – Ridden by Tom Queally
2/21 – Ridden by Frankie Dettori (2 of last 6)
2/21 – Trained by John Gosden (2 of last 6)
2022 Winner: Bay Bridge (10/1)
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has just 1 win in the race (Magical, 2019)
The average winning SP in the last 10 runnings is 11/2

4.25 - Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored By Qipco) Cl2 1m ITV

Just 9 previous runnings
8/9 – Carried between 9-1 and 9-6 in weight
7/9 – Aged 4 or 5 years-old
7/9 – Returned 8/1 or shorter in the betting
6/9 - Winners drawn 10 or lower
4/9 -  Winners ran at Newmarket last time out
4/9 - Previous winners were aged 5 years-old
3/9 – Trained by David O’Meara
2/9 - Ridden by a claiming jockey
1/9 - Winning favourite
Escobar won the race in 2019
2022 Winner: Shelir (80/1)
The average winning SP in the last 9 runnings is 17/1
Trainers William Haggas, Jessie Harrington, Roger Varian, David O’Meara (3), Roger Charlton, Saeed Bin Suroor and Marcus Tregoning have won the race in the past
Horses from stalls 12 or 13 have been placed in 5 of the last 9 runnings
The last 2 winners came from stall 11

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Facteur Cheval confirmed for Champions Day

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Connections of Facteur Cheval are eager to see more rainfall at Ascot ahead of his tilt at the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Qipco British Champions Day.

Jerome Reynier’s ultra-consistent performer is yet to finish outside the first three in five outings this term, beaten less than two lengths on each occasion, with his last three appearances coming at Group One level.

The Facteur Cheval team are looking forward to another crack at Paddington having been short of room when second to Aidan O’Brien’s prolific winner in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

“It’s the plan and he could run on any type of surface, but he’s better with some give in the ground and the wetter the better, like when he won the Prix Perth at Saint-Cloud,” said Barry Irwin, CEO of Team Valor, who own the horse in partnership with Gary Barber.

“We have skipped some other races he could have run in waiting for the race next weekend figuring it would be really wet again.”

Facteur Cheval after his brave second in the Sussex Stakes
Facteur Cheval after his brave second in the Sussex Stakes (Molly Hunter/PA)

If the ground is quicker than Facteur Cheval ideally likes, connections will use it as a guide to next year.

Irwin added: “I think at this point we’re looking at it as much, if not more, as a test to see how he handles that (quicker) going at this point of his life, as our goal next year is the Dubai Turf. This will be a good test to see how he handles that type of track.

“That mile up the straight at Ascot is more like a mile and eighth and that’s the distance of the Dubai Turf.

“That’s what we’re looking at and whether we are going to have a big impact on this race now – and unless we get lucky and the ground turns very soft – that is something we’re a bit concerned about obviously.”



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