Queen Elizabeth II Cup prize money
The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is worth £2,850,000 for the 2026 running , £1,596,000 of it to the winner . That makes it the 16th richest of the 997 races on this site and the 3rd richest in Hong Kong.
The race announces its purse as HK$30,000,000, and every figure here is that money converted. The currency control at the top swaps the whole page.
What the Queen Elizabeth II Cup is
Group 1 · 2,000 meters (About 10 furlongs / miles) · Turf · Sha Tin Racecourse
- Racecourse
- Sha Tin Racecourse
- Country
- Hong Kong
- Grade
- Group 1
- Distance
- 2,000 meters (About 10 furlongs / miles)
- Surface
- Turf
- Race type
- Flat / Thoroughbred
- Open to
- Three-years-old and up
- Direction
- Right-handed
- First run
- 1975
- As published
- HK$30,000,000
The winner takes 56% of the fund. The remaining £1,254,000 is shared between the horses behind, on a scale the racecourse sets race by race rather than a fixed one.
Run in 2:00.64 in 2026, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup pays £23,624 for every second of the race, which is 17th of the 611 races in horse racing prize money per second and 5th in Hong Kong.
Every Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner
29 runnings, 1995 to 2026, newest first
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Romantic Warrior8 · 2:00.64 | James McDonald | Danny Shum Chap-shing (Hong Kong) | Peter Lau Pak Fai |
| 2025 | Tastiera5 · 2:00.51 | Damian Lane | Noriyuki Hori (Japan) | Carrot Farm Co Ltd |
| 2022 | Romantic Warrior4 · 2:00.13 | Karis Teetan | Danny Shum Chap-shing (Hong Kong) | Peter Lau Pak Fai |
| 2021 | Loves Only You5 · 2:01.22 | Vincent Ho Chak-yiu | Yoshito Yahagi (Japan) | DMM Dream Club |
| 2020 | Exultant6 · 2:00.00 | Zac Purton | Tony Cruz (Hong Kong) | Eddie Wong Ming Chak & Wong Leung Sau Hing |
| 2019 | Win Bright5 · 1:58.81 | Masami Matsuoka | Yoshihiro Hatakeyama (Japan) | Win Co Ltd |
| 2018 | Pakistan Star5 · 2.00.21 | William Buick | Tony Cruz (Hong Kong) | Kerm Din |
| 2017 | Neorealism6 · 2:04.59 | João Moreira | Noriyuki Hori (Japan) | U Carrot Farm |
| 2016 | Werther4 · 2:01.32 | Hugh Bowman | John Moore (Hong Kong) | Johnson Chen |
| 2015 | Blazing Speed6 · 2:02.89 | Neil Callan | Tony Cruz (Hong Kong) | Fentons Racing Syndicate |
| 2014 | Designs on Rome4 | Cheng Keung Fai | ||
| 2013 | Military Attack5 · 2:02.15 | Tommy Berry | John Moore (Hong Kong) | Mr & Mrs Steven Lo Kit Sing |
| 2012 | Rulership5 · 2:02.38 | Umberto Rispoli | Katsuhiko Sumii (Japan) | Sunday Racing Co Ltd |
| 2011 | Ambitious Dragon4 · 2:02.23 | Douglas Whyte | Tony Millard (Hong Kong) | Lam Pui Hung |
| 2010 | Viva Pataca8 · 2:04.97 | Weichong Marwing | John Moore (Hong Kong) | Stanley Ho Hung-Sun |
| 2009 | Presvis5 · 2:02.97 | Ryan Moore | Luca Cumani (Great Britain) | Leonidas Marinopoulos |
| 2008 | Archipenko4 · 2:00.80 | Kevin Shea | Mike de Kock (South Africa) | Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum |
| 2007 | Viva Pataca5 · 2:01.90 | Michael Kinane | John Moore (Hong Kong) | Stanley Ho Hung-Sun |
| 2006 | Irridescence5 · 2:02.00 | Weichong Marwing | Mike de Kock (South Africa) | Team Valor |
| 2005 | Vengeance of Rain4 · 2:01.80 | Anthony Delpech | David Ferraris (Hong Kong) | Chow Nam & R. G. Chow Hon Man |
| 2004 | River Dancer5 · 2:01.40 | Glyn Schofield | John Size (Hong Kong) | Ronald Arculli |
| 2002 | Eishin Preston5 · 2:02.50 | Yuichi Fukunaga | Shuji Kitahashi (Japan) | Toyomitsu Hirai |
| 2001 | Silvano5 · 2:03.10 | Andreas Suborics | Andreas Wöhler (Germany) | Stiftung Gestüt Fährhof |
| 2000 | Industrialist4 · 2:02.10 | Alan Munro | Brian Kan Ping-chee (Hong Kong) | A. Hu Si Nok & P. Wong Yau Ming |
| 1999 | Jim And Tonic5 · 2:00.10 | Gerald Mosse | François Doumen (France) | John D. Martin |
| 1998 | Oriental Express5 | Ivan Allan (Hong Kong) | Larry Yung Chi Kin | |
| 1997 | London News5 · 2:00.30 | Douglas Whyte | Alec Laird (South Africa) | Laurie & Jean Jaffee |
| 1996 | Overbury5 · 2:14.50 | Frankie Dettori | Saeed bin Suroor (UAE) | Godolphin |
| 1995 | Red Bishop7 · 2:17.20 | Michael Kinane | Hilal Ibrahim (UAE) | Ali Saeed |
29 of the 29 runnings name the rider, 28 name the trainer and 27 name the owner, who is the one of the three the prize money actually belongs to.
Who wins the Queen Elizabeth II Cup more than once
The fact the table above holds and cannot show
Most wins by a trainer
| Horse | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Romantic Warrior | 2 | 2022, 2026 |
| Viva Pataca | 2 | 2007, 2010 |
Races worth about the same
Either side of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in the world money order
| # | Race | Country | Prize money | As published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Japan CupTokyo Racecourse | Japan | £5,493,600£5.5m | ¥1,090,000,000 |
| 5 | Melbourne CupFlemington Racecourse | Australia | £5,291,005£5.3m | AU$10,000,000 |
| 6 | Breeders' Cup ClassicNorth America | United States | £5,263,158£5.3m | $7,000,000 |
| 7 | Dubai Sheema ClassicMeydan Racecourse | United Arab Emirates | £4,511,278£4.5m | $6,000,000 |
| 8 | Dubai TurfMeydan Racecourse | United Arab Emirates | £4,511,278£4.5m | $6,000,000 |
| 9 | Prix de l'Arc de TriompheLongchamp Racecourse | France | £4,273,504£4.3m | €5,000,000 |
| 11 | Hong Kong CupSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | £3,800,000£3.8m | HK$40,000,000 |
| 12 | Breeders' Cup TurfNorth America | United States | £3,759,399£3.8m | $5,000,000 |
| 13 | Kentucky DerbyChurchill Downs | United States | £3,759,399£3.8m | $5,000,000 |
| 15 | Hong Kong MileSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | £3,040,000£3.0m | HK$32,000,000 |
| 17 | Caulfield CupCaulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia | Australia | £2,645,503£2.6m | AU$5,000,000 |
| 18 | Golden Slipper StakesRosehill Gardens Racecourse | Australia | £2,645,503£2.6m | AU$5,000,000 |
| 20 | Nashville DerbyKentucky Downs | United States | £2,631,579£2.6m | $3,500,000 |
| 21 | Hong Kong SprintSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | £2,470,000£2.5m | HK$26,000,000 |
| 22 | Hong Kong DerbySha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | £2,280,000£2.3m | HK$24,000,000 |
| 23 | Hong Kong VaseSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | £2,280,000£2.3m | HK$24,000,000 |
| 24 | Pegasus World Cup Invitational StakesGulfstream Park | United States | £2,255,639£2.3m | $3,000,000 |
| 25 | Doncaster HandicapRandwick Racecourse, | Australia | £2,116,402£2.1m | AU$4,000,000 |
| 26 | Chairman's Sprint PrizeSha Tin Racecourse | Hong Kong | £1,900,000£1.9m | HK$20,000,000 |
| 28 | UAE DerbyMeydan Racecourse | United Arab Emirates | £1,879,699£1.9m | $2,500,000 |
The 20 races closest to the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in what they pay, above and below it. Follow the ranking all the way up on the richest races in the world.
The rest of the money in Hong Kong
15 races, 3rd of them is this one
| Race | Racecourse | Grade | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celebration Cup | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 3 | £308,750 |
| Lion Rock Trophy | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 3 | £308,750 |
| Hong Kong Cup | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 1 | £3,800,000£3.8m |
| Hong Kong Mile | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 1 | £3,040,000£3.0m |
| Hong Kong Sprint | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 1 | £2,470,000£2.5m |
| Hong Kong Derby | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group One (domestic) | £2,280,000£2.3m |
| Hong Kong Vase | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 1 | £2,280,000£2.3m |
| Chairman's Sprint Prize | Sha Tin Racecourse | Group 1 | £1,900,000£1.9m |
Every race in Hong Kong we hold a purse for is on the Hong Kong prize money list.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner get?
£1,596,000. That is 56% of the £2,850,000 the Queen Elizabeth II Cup is worth, and the rest is shared down the field.
What is the total Queen Elizabeth II Cup prize money?
£2,850,000, for the 2026 running. The race announces it as HK$30,000,000.
Where does the Queen Elizabeth II Cup rank among the richest races in the world?
16th of 997. 15 races pay more, the nearest of them Japan Cup. In Hong Kong it is 3rd of 15.
Which horse has won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup most often?
Romantic Warrior, 2 times, in 2022, 2026.
Which jockey has won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup most often?
Douglas Whyte, with 2 wins between 1997 and 2011.
When was the Queen Elizabeth II Cup first run?
1975. This page holds 29 runnings, from 1995 to 2026.
How far is the Queen Elizabeth II Cup?
2,000 meters (About 10 furlongs / miles), on turf, at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Where to next
The rest of the racing money