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One of the best races in Europe each year is the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes run at Ascot on Saturday.
Three elite horses fought the finish out last year. Can that happen again in the 2020 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2405m) at Ascot on Saturday?
2020 KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for the stayers at Ascot conducted by the Ascot Racecourse.
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes is run over the mile and a half. It was first run in 1951 and was won by Supreme Court.
It is the biggest open class race over that distance in the UK. The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes is really the championship race of the Summer.
The race was an amalgam of two races in the 1940s, one named after King George VI for 3yos and the other after then Queen Elizabeth which was similar to this race.
De Beers sponsorship led the race to be known as the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes from 1972 to 2006.
Only three horses have won it multiple times – Dahlia and Swain before Enable became the first horse to win in non-consecutive years.
The excellence of the winners shows up with the number of classic winners who take the prize. 30 x 3yos have won since inception.
Absolute Hall of Famers like Ribot, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Shergar, Dancing Brave, Nashwan, Galileo and Enable are amongst Honour Roll.
Germany won back to back with Danedream and Novellist in 2012/2013.
Running in his first Group 1 race, Harbinger only took on five rivals in 2010 including his Derby winning stable mate Workforce. He would win by 11 lengths in one of the biggest winning margins in a feature flat race in England.
Sir Michael Stoute took over as leading trainer over Dick Hern and Saeed bin Suroor with his sixth victory in 2018. Most wins as a jockey is by Lester Piggott with seven.
Poet's Word and Crystal Ocean provided a great dual between stable mates and they beat the rest by nine lengths in 2018.
However one year later, Enable and Crystal Ocean again produced one of the all-time great races as the mare was brave after being wide. Waldgeist was beaten over eight lengths but got his revenge in the Arc in October.
The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes was worth £400,000 in 2020 due to coronarvirus.
Notable winners of the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes include Poet's Word (2018), Enable (2017/2019), Highland Reel (2016), Harbinger (2010), Galileo (2001), Montjeu (2000), Swain (1997/1998), Lammtarra (1995), Generous (1991), Nashwan (1989), Dancing Brave (1986), Shergar (1981), Dahlia (1973/1974), Brigadier Gerard (1972), Mill Reef (1971), Nijinsky (1970), Ballymoss (1958) and Ribot (1956).
The 2019 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes was won by Enable from Crystal Ocean and Waldgeist.
