Big names are to the fore in the Race History of the 2018 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup run at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Neorealism won last year courtesy of a great ride. It might take something similar in the 2018 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on Sunday.
2018 AUDEMARS PIGUET QUEEN ELIZABETH II CUP - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup is a G1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the middle distance horses at Sha Tin conducted by Hong Kong Jockey Club.
The Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup is run over 2000m. It was first run in 1975 and was at 2200m up to 1997.
In 1975 Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Hong Kong for a state visit. To mark the event, on 5 May, the Hong Kong Jockey Club staged the inaugural running of the Queen Elizabeth Cup, with a prize fund of HK$50,000.
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup was initially at Happy Valley.
The race, which moved to Sha Tin in 1979, was in fact staged twice in 1986, first in April and then in October when Queen Elizabeth was once again in attendance, that time to see Forever Gold win a 1600m renewal. In April 1992 the contest was raised to HKG2 level and River Verdon won that mile edition.
Three years later the race was opened up to international competition, as a local G1 contest.
Audemars Piguet stepped up to partner with the QEII Cup in 1999 and the race attained international G2 status. It became Hong Kong’s fourth international G1 race in 2001, the year in which the German raider Silvano took the winner’s share of the HK$10 million purse under Andreas Suborics.
With five wins, John Moore is the most successful APQEII Cup trainer in the past 30 years (2016 Werther, 2014 Designs On Rome, 2013 Military Attack, 2007 & 2010 Viva Pataca).
Just since the turn of the century, some of the great jockeys of the world have saluted including Michael Kinane, Ryan Moore, Douglas Whyte, Hugh Bowman and Joao Moreira.
Hong Kong runners have won six of the past 10 editions of the QEII Cup, with four of them claiming that same season’s Horse of the Year title (2011 Ambitious Dragon; 2013 Military Attack; 2014 Designs On Rome; 2016 Werther).
Neorealism’s win in 2017 gave Japan a fourth APQEII Cup, making that country the overseas jurisdiction with the most wins, followed by South Africa with three.
When Japanese trainer Noriyuki Hori saddled Neorealism to win the APQEII Cup in 2017 he became the first overseas trainer to win five G1s in Hong Kong.
Four horses - Werther (2016), Designs On Rome (2014), Ambitious Dragon (2011) and Vengeance Of Rain (2005) - have completed the Hong Kong Derby and APQEII Cup double in the same year.
Australian rider Tommy Berry became the first Club Jockey to win a G1 on the first day of his contract when he partnered Military Attack to win this race in 2013.
Only three favourites have won the APQEII Cup since it became a 2000m race in 1997, the last being Designs On Rome in 2014.
South African raider Irridescence, successful in 2006, is the only filly or mare to have won the APQEII Cup.
The Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup is worth HK$24m in 2018.
Some notable winners of the Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup include Neorealism (2017), Werther (2016), Blazing Speed (2015), Designs On Rome (2014), Military Attack (2013), Ambitious Dragon (2011), Viva Pataca (2007/2010), Presvis (2009), Vengeance Of Rain (2005), Eishin Preston (2002/2003), Jim And Tonic (1999) and River Verdon (1992).
The 2017 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup was won by Neorealism from Pakistan Star and Werther.
