Events / Malcolm Pannett / 23 July 2009 /

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is one of the highlights of Ascot's flat racing programme and has thrown up some thrilling races over the years including in 1975 the battle between Grundy and Bustino that was dubbed 'the race of the century'. Malcolm Pannett takes up the story...

First run 1951 as the Festival of Britain King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes the race marked the celebration of the centenary of the Great Exhibition which was also designed to engender a feel good factor in the nation still recovering from the war and still subject to rationing.

Major Crocker Buteel, the Clerk of the Course at Ascot, came up with the idea of combining the King George VI Stakes, which was first run in 1946, with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which dated back to 1948, to produce a race that honoured the monarch and his wife.

Sadly the King died before the second running however the die was cast in the inaugural race with the winners of the 2000 Guineas (Ki Ming), 1000 Guineas (Belle of All), Derby (Arctic Prince) and French Derby (Scratch II) all in the line-up. The winner though was the mare Supreme Court, ridden by Charlie Elliott, who beat Zucchero with dual Arc-winner Tantieme back in third.

The next two runnings were won by Derby winners Tulyar (1952) and Pinza (1953) and then the Queen won her parents' race with Aureole. The son of Hyperion was sent off favourite, on the back of successes in the Hardwicke Stakes and Coronation Cup, and won in tacky conditions by three quarters of a length from the French-trained Vamos - despite decanting jockey Eph Smith on the way to the start and being last to leave the stalls.

The race has quality running right through it with Arc-winners Ribot (1956) and Ballymoss (1958) winning in the first decade. Between 1968, when Noel Murless landed a hat-trick in the race with Royal Palace, and 1974, when Dahlia became the first dual winner, the roll call reads as follows: Park Top (1969); Nijinsky (1970); Mill Reef (1971); and Brigadier Gerard (1972).

Dahlia was in the field again, trying for a hat-trick, in 1975 but was overshadowed by the epic dual between Derby-winner Grundy and the previous year's St Leger-winner Bustino. A race which become known as 'The Race of the Century'.

In the early stages Bustino's stablemates Highest then Kinglet set a break-neck pace set from future Arc-winner Star Appeal in third. Half a mile from home Joe Mercer, on Bustino, struck for home - a move that was immediately covered by Pat Eddery aboard Grundy. A length separated the pair at the two-furlong marker where Grundy started to close being virtually level by the one. Then Grundy passed Bustino but Lady Beaverbrook's colt counter attacked and the two fought it out tooth and nail until Grundy just got on top close home winning by half-a-length and in the process shattering the course record by nearly two and a half seconds.

More recently Dancing Brave (1986); Nashwan (1989); Generous (1991); Lammtarra (1995); Montjeu (2000) and Hurricane Run (2006) among others have joined the list of winners, while Godolphin's Swain (1997 and 1998) replicated Dahlia's feat with 'The boys in blue' going on to complete a hat-trick with Daylami (1999) (see below).

For many years, up until 2006, De Beers sponsored the race and the word 'Diamond' appeared in the title.

The 2005 race won by the Aga Khan's Azamour was run at Newbury while Ascot was being redeveloped.

Recently the Classic generation have tended to sidestep the race taking up other opportunities in the ever-expanding racing calendar instead and indeed Eswarah, who finished eighth in 2005, was the last three-year-old to line up.

25 years ago - Last year's Derby-winner Teenoso led home a quality field including seven previous Group 1 winners. Lester Piggott jumped Teenoso, who arrived on the back of successes in the Ormonde Stakes and Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, off smartly and led the field for three furlongs until 1983 Oaks-winner Sun Princess' pacemaker His Honour finally got to the front. Half a mile from home the rabbit ran out of puff and Teenoso regained the advantage. Rounding the turn Piggott kicked for home and under pressure scored by two and a half lengths from Irish 2000 Guineas and Eclipse-winner Sadler's Wells. Budweiser Million-winner Tolomeo was third followed by favourite Time Charter, Sun Princess and Jupiter Island.

10 years ago - A one-two for Goldolphin as the Frankie Dettori-ridden Daylami (pictured above) won by five lengths from Nedawi partnered by Gary Stevens. Dettori sent the grey son of Daltawa about his business in the straight and the partnership collared Derby-second Daliapour before the furlong pole while Fruits Of Love ran on strongly after being switched to take third place with Silver Patriarch fourth. Daliapour along with Derby-winner and favourite Oath - the only representatives of the classic generation in the field - both sustained injuries during the race trailing in last and last but one respectively. Daylami went on to capture the Breeders' Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park.

Five years ago - A three-length success for Doyen and a fifth winner for Saeed bin Suroor. The son of Sadler's Wells, who was sent off favourite on the back of his success in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot, took it up from pacesetting stablemate Lunar Sovereign and the Brazilian-bred US-trained Hard Buck. The third Godolphin-runner Sulamani made rapid late headway and only failed to get up for second by a head, that honour instead going to the Gary Stevens-partnered 33/1-shot Hard Buck, trained by Kenneth McPeek, who stayed on well after taking a keen hold in the early stages.

Last Year - A predictable victory for gameness over seconditis. The talented, but slightly frustrating, Papal Bull overtook the Aidan O'Brien-trained Duke Of Marmalade too soon hitting the lead with enough time for the odds-on favourite to muster a counter challenge - which he duly did with gusto getting back up to win by half-a-length under Johnny Murtagh. Youmzain encountered trouble in running but even once getting a clear run was no match for the principals finishing a distant third nine lengths behind the action.

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