The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes |
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| Group 1, Ascot 15:40 £1,000,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 6f, Class 1  |
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The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes remains one of the premier sprint contests of the Royal Ascot meeting, and the 2026 renewal already looks set to feature a compelling international cast of elite sprinters, headed by proven Group One performers from Britain, Ireland and Australia.
Among the leading home contenders is Flora Of Bermuda, who enhanced her already admirable reputation with a deserved comeback victory at Newmarket. Having consistently competed with credit in elite sprint company, the Andrew Balding-trained filly dropped to Listed level for the Ellen Chaloner Stakes and duly delivered in determined fashion.
Flora Of Bermuda will head straight to Royal Ascot after gaining a deserved success in her Newmarket comeback. A consistent performer for Andrew Balding at the highest level, she dropped to Listed level to bag the Ellen Chaloner Stakes and will now take another crack at the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the Royal meeting, a race she finished third in last year.
Richard Brown, racing adviser for owners Wathnan Racing, said: “We had talked about this race all winter and both Andrew and I felt it was important to get her head in front in our silks – she’d run some great races without quite doing so in much bigger events, so it was lovely to see her do that.
“She’s a model of consistency and a top, tough filly who battled all the way on Saturday. She’ll be back up in grade now and she’ll go straight to Royal Ascot for the six-furlong sprint.”
Joliestar does it again! 🤩
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 4, 2026
She wins the G1 T J Smith Stakes before she heads off to take on the world! And that's a G1 double to @cwallerracing - @mcacajamez 💪 pic.twitter.com/0I5ZfESZQb
Joliestar strengthened her claims for international sprint honours when landing a fifth Group 1 in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on what was her final appearance before travelling to Royal Ascot.
Joliestar landed a fifth Group 1 in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on her final start before a trip to Royal Ascot. The five-year-old mare found the best turn of foot in the A$3 million (£1.57m/€1.79m) sprint under James McDonald and held off the late lunge of Giga Kick in a competitive heat.
The half-length victory represented the perfect farewell to Australia for now, with the Cambridge Stud-owned mare set to travel to Britain in June.
Joliestar's trainer Chris Waller has yet to win the marquee sprint over six furlongs, but has plenty of Ascot experience having landed the furlong-shorter King Charles III Stakes with Nature Strip in 2022.
"A lot of thought has gone into it long before today," he said. "It's all sort of mapped out, we just needed her to run today to cement her place on the flight. She's only run in the best races right from a three-year-old and she's been a model of consistency since.
"This preparation compared to last prep she's overcome luck in running, speed, tracks, she's become just more dominant – maturity and confidence have been number one. She'll have a bit of downtime now and work back from Ascot.
"She goes so well fresh so she'll represent us all well, Australia and New Zealand."
Marvelman remains a possible Royal Ascot contender, with connections prepared to let the weather dictate his next move as they search for the ideal conditions for the talented gelding.
The son of Night Of Thunder earned widespread acclaim when producing a runaway display in last season’s Park Stakes, a performance that prompted the Bond family to purchase him and dream of further success at the highest level.
Things have not quite gone to plan since. He was unable to make an impact in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on British Champions Day before again failing to feature when travelling to Saudi Arabia for the 1351 Turf Sprint earlier this year.
A planned outing in the Greenlands Stakes at the Curragh was subsequently abandoned after he suffered a cut to his head, leaving connections to reassess their options for the early summer.
Royal Ascot remains firmly under consideration, but any decision will be heavily influenced by the prevailing ground conditions.
Owner Charlie Bond said: “He is entered at Ascot, so we’ll watch this space.
“He’ll either go to Ascot or York or France depending on where the weather hits.
“He was super impressive when he won his Group Two on soft ground, so we’ll just wait for the right conditions.”
That preference for ease underfoot means flexibility remains key, with Ascot, York and France all potential destinations should suitable ground materialise.
While recent results have not matched the heights of his Park Stakes triumph, connections remain convinced that Marvelman retains the ability that saw him dominate at Group Two level and are determined to place him where conditions give him the best chance of showing it once again.
QEII Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
(British Champions Series & Global Sprint Challenge)
£1,000,000 guaranteed, 4yo+, 6f, Class 1
23 remaining entries
Going:
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
Past Winners
