The Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup until 2012) is an International Grade 1 flat horse race in Japan for three-year-old and above thoroughbred fillies and mares run over a distance of 2,200 metres (approximately 1 mile 3 furlongs) on the turf at Kyoto Racecourse in November.
Originally called the Victoria Cup, it was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in 1975 to commemorate the visit of Elizabeth II to Japan.
History The race was first run in 1976 over a distance of 2,400 metres (1 mile 4 furlongs). It was originally for three-year-old fillies only and was the third leg of the Japanese Triple Tiara. In 1996, it was opened to older female horses and was reduced to its present distance. In the same year the Shūka Shō was established and became the third leg of the Triple Tiara. As a result, Mejiro Ramonu is the only racehorse to win the Triple Tiara with the Queen Elizabeth II Cup as the third leg.
Since 1999, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup has been opened for international racehorses, and then it was designated as an International Grade 1 race in 2007, with Irish-bred Snow Fairy being the first winner from outside Japan in 2010. The following year, she made Japanese flat racing history of being the first ever non-Japanese trained horse to win the same Grade 1 flat race back-to-back (second ever including Steeplechase, with Karasi winning Nakayama Grand Jump between 2005 and 2007).
It is the only Grade 1 race that is restricted to fillies and mares aged three or above. The other Grade 1 races for older female horses in Japan, the Victoria Mile, excludes three-year-olds.
Trial races Trial races provide automatic berths to the winning horses. RaceGradeRacecourseDistanceConditionIreland TrophyGIITokyo1,800 metresWinner
Records Speed record (since 1996 when distance reduced): Regaleira (2025) – 2:11.0
Most successful horse (2 wins): Mejiro Dober – 1998, 1999 Admire Groove – 2003, 2004 Snow Fairy – 2010, 2011 Lucky Lilac – 2019, 2020
Winners Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time1976Diamante3Yukiharu MatsudaYukio InabaHiroyoshi Sato2:28.51977Inter Gloria3Yoichi FukunagaTsugio YanagidaMasao Matsuoka2:28.71978Lead Swallow3Kunihiko TakeMasatoshi HattoriYoshio Kumamoto2:29.11979Miss Kaburaya3Yukio OkabeTokachi NishizukaKaburaya2:32.61980Hagino Top Lady3Kiyoaki ItoShuji ItoKokichi Hinokuma2:27.91981Agnes Tesco3Katsuichi NishiuraMichio KuboTakao Watanabe2:28.11982Victoria Crown3Isao ShimadaYukio InabaMasahi Iida2:29.21983Long Grace3Hiroshi KawachiMinoru KobayashiChoichi Nakai2:30.11984Kyowa Thunder3Hiroshi HiguchiHachiro YoshiokaYoshio Asakawa2:28.41985Reward Wing3Kunio UchidaAkio TsurudomeTadahiko Miyazaki2:26.81986Mejiro Ramonu3Hiroshi KawachiShinji OkuhiraMejiro Bokujo2:29.11987Talented Girl3Seiji EbisawaHironori KuritaMasako Iida2:29.31988Miyama Poppy3Yukiharu MatsudaYoshitaro MatsudaRyogo Omiya2:27.21989Sand Peeress3Shigehiko KishiShinobu YoshiokaHidaka Breeders Union2:28.81990Kyoei Tap3Norihiro YokoyamaKenji HiedaMasao Matsuoka2:25.51991Rinden Lilly3Junichiro OkaAkira NomotoAkitoshi Hayashida2:29.61992Takeno Velvet3Shinji FujitaMinoru KobayashiDaikichi Takeoka2:27.11993Hokuto Vega3Kazuhiro KatoTakao NakanoKanamorimori Shoji2:24.91994Hishi Amazon3Eiji NakadateTakao NakanoMasaichiro Abe2:24.3 1995 Sakura Candle 3 Futoshi Kojima Kazunori Sakai Sakura Commerce 2:27.3 1996 Dance Partner 4 Hirofumi Shii Toshiaki Shirai Katsumi Yoshida 2:14.3 1997 Erimo Chic 4 Hitoshi Matoba Yoshio Oki Shinichi Yamamoto 2:12.5 1998 Mejiro Dober 4 Yutaka Yoshida Yokichi Okubo Mejiro Shoji 2:12.8 1999 Mejiro Dober 5 Yutaka Yoshida Yokichi Okubo Mejiro Shoji 2:13.5 2000 Phalaenopsis 5 Mikio Matsunaga Mitsumasa Hamada North Hills Management Co Ltd 2:12.8 2001 To the Victory 5 Yutaka Take Yasuo Ikee Makoto Kaneko 2:11.2 2002 Fine Motion 3 Yutaka Take Yuji Ito Tatsuo Fushikida 2:13.2 2003 Admire Groove 3 Yutaka Take Mitsuru Hashida Riichi Kondo 2:11.8 2004 Admire Groove 4 Yutaka Take Mitsuru Hashida Riichi Kondo 2:13.6 2005 Sweep Tosho 4 Kenichi Ikezoe Akio Tsurudome Tosho Sangyo 2:12.5 2006 Fusaichi Pandora 3 Yuichi Fukunaga Toshiaki Shirai Fusao Sekiguchi 2:11.6 2007 Daiwa Scarlet 3 Katsumi Ando Kunihide Matsuda Keizo Oshiro 2:11.9 2008 Little Amapola 3 Christophe Lemaire Hiroyuki Nagahama Shadai Racehorse Co 2:12.1 2009 Queen Spumante 5 Hiroyasu Tanaka Shigeyuki Kojima Green Farm 2:13.6 2010 Snow Fairy 3 Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop Anamoine Ltd 2:12.5 2011 Snow Fairy 4 Ryan Moore Ed Dunlop Anamoine Ltd 2:11.6 2012 Rainbow Dahlia 5 Yoshitomi Shibata Yoshitaka Ninomiya Yoshiko Tanaka 2:16.3 2013 Meisho Mambo 3 Koshiro Take Akihiro Iida Yoshio Matsumoto 2:16.6 2014 Lachesis 4 Yuga Kawada Katsuhiko Sumii Masaya Oshima 2:12.3 2015 Marialite 4 Masayoshi Ebina Takashi Kubota U Carrot Farm 2:14.9 2016 Queens Ring 4 Mirco Demuro Keiji Yoshimura Chizu Yoshida 2:12.9 2017 Mozu Katchan 3 Mirco Demuro Ippo Sameshima Capital System Co. Ltd 2:14.3 2018 Lys Gracieux 4 João Moreira Yoshito Yahagi U Carrot Farm 2:13.1 2019 Lucky Lilac 4 Christophe Soumillon Mikio Matsunaga Sunday Racing 2:14.1 2020 Lucky Lilac 5 Christophe Lemaire Mikio Matsunaga Sunday Racing 2:10.3 2021 Akai Ito 4 Hideaki Miyuki Kazuya Nakatake Koji Oka 2:12.1 2022 Geraldina 4 Cristian Demuro Takashi Saito Sunday Racing 2:13.0 2023 Brede Weg 3 Christophe Lemaire Keisuke Miyata Sunday Racing 2:12.62024Stunning Rose5Cristian DemuroTomokazu TakanoSunday Racing2:11.12025Regaleira4Keita TosakiTetsuya KimuraSunday Racing2:11.0 Kawakami Princess finished first in 2006 but was demoted to 12th place following a Stewards' Inquiry.
The 2020, 2021 and 2022 races took place at Hanshin Racecourse over a distance of 2200 metres.
See also Horse racing in Japan List of Japanese flat horse races
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External links Horse Racing in Japan