Queen Alexandra Stakes

The Queen Alexandra Stakes is the longest flat race in Britain and takes place over two and three-quarter miles.

It is now established as the final race of Royal Ascot on the closing Saturday. Brown Jack won this race a record six times between 1929 and 1934.

Other notable winners include Sprowston Boy (1987), Caracciola (2009), Simenon (2012) and Oriental Fox (2015 and 2017).

Find out more about the Queen Alexandra Stakes:

Famous Queen Alexandra Stakes Winners

Brown Jack is best remembered for his remarkable record of six victories in this race between 1929 and 1934. His other career victories on the flat included the Goodwood Cup (1930), Doncaster Cup (1930), Chester Cup (1931) and Ebor Handicap (1931). He also won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 1928. There is a statue of Brown Jack at Ascot racecourse and a staying handicap named in his honour takes place at the July meeting every year.

Valuable Witness won for Trainer Jeremy Tree and jockey Pat Eddery in 1985 and followed up in the Goodwood Cup.

Gay Kelleway rode her father’s Sprowston Boy to victory in the 1987 Queen Alexandra Stakes, the first of her sex to ride a winner at the Royal meeting.

Sprowston Boy showed his versatility by going on to win the Imperial Cup over hurdles at Sandown Park.

San Sebastian won the Ascot Stakes in 1998 and added the Queen Alexandra Stakes the following season. He produced one of the biggest shocks in racing history when beating Persian Punch in the Prix Du Cadran in 2000, returning at the enormous odds of 122-1!

Cover Up won in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003 for Sir Michael Stoute and Kieren Fallon.

Mark Johnston’s Oriental Fox added his name to the list of multiple winners when scoring in 2015 and 2017. 2012 winner Simenon won the Ascot Stakes and Queen Alexandra Stakes in the same season in 2012. He returned to the Royal meeting 12 months’ later and almost spoiled the party when finishing a neck second to Her Majesty The Queen’s Estimate.

Key Queen Alexandra Stakes Trials

The Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket was won by Caracciola (2008) and Stratum (2019), winners here in 2009 and 2021 respectively.

With this race being over such an extreme distance, form clues come as much from National Hunt racing as from the flat.

Some horses run earlier in the week in the Ascot Stakes over two and a half miles. Willie Mullins trained Simenon to both races in 2012 and his Thomas Hobson finished first and second in 2017.

Although a marathon such as this may be out of fashion, it can prove to be a stepping-stone for top-flight staying races. As well as finishing second in the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup, Simenon finished a close fourth in the 2014 Melbourne Cup behind Fiorente. Thomas Hobson, runner-up in 2017 to Oriental Fox, won the Group 2 Doncaster Cup and was sixth in the Melbourne Cup in 2018.

Queen Alexandra Stakes Betting Trends

There has been a wide range of successful ages in this race.

Caracciola won as a veteran of twelve years in 2009. Oriental Fox (2017) and Pallasator (2018) were both successful at the age of nine. Recent winners Who Dares Wins (2020) and Stratum (2021) were eight years of age.

There have only been two winning favourites in the Queen Alexandra Stakes in the past twelve seasons; Simenon (2012) at 11-4 and Who Dares Wins (2020) at Evens.

Looking further back, Cover Up (2003) and Honolulu (2008) were well-backed favourites. Five of the twelve were either second or third favourite and major shocks are relatively rare.

Corrib Eclipse sprang a 25-1 surprise in 2004 having previously raced in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

Commissioned (2016) returned at 12-1 while Bergo (2010) and Oriental Fox (2017) both returned at 10-1.

An official rating of 95 or higher is usually required to win this race. Swingkeel (2011) and Simenon (2012) were both on that mark while the highest rated was 2021 winner Stratum (rated 107).

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Queen Alexandra Stakes Previous Winners

Queen Alexandra Stakes Previous Result

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Queen Alexandra Stakes – Top Trainers and Jockeys

The unusual distance of this race has made it appealing to National Hunt trainers who have farmed it successfully in recent years. Seven of the last twelve winners have been provided by predominately National Hunt trainers.

Willie Mullins won here with Simenon (2012), Pique Sous (2014) and Stratum (2021), putting him within one of the record four victories of Major Dick Hern. Hern trained Grey Of Falloden (1965), Balinger (1980), Cuff Link (1994 and 1995).

Gordon Elliott won it for the first time with Commissioned in 2016 and again in 2018 with Pallasator. Nicky Henderson trained Caracciola in 2009 while 2020 winner Who Dares Wins was in the care of another specialist jumps trainer in Alan King.

Ryan Moore has a good record in this event, winning it four times between 2010 and 2021; Bergo (2010), Simenon (2012), Pique Sans (2014) and Stratum (2021).

Betting on the Queen Alexandra Stakes

The Queen Alexandra Stakes brings the curtain down on the Royal Ascot Festival.

National Hunt trainers have been plundering the staying handicaps at the festival meetings in recent seasons and this race is no exception. The trend looks set to continue with Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott among those targeting this race months in advance.

The Queen Alexandra Stakes takes place on the same day as the Chesham Stakes and the Wokingham Stakes.

Summary of the Queen Alexandra Stakes

Thank you for reading our guide to the Queen Alexandra Stakes.

It is one of the main races at Royal Ascot ran over an extreme marathon trip.

It has proved a successful race for many big national hunt trainers over the year.

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