Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup (G1) - Preview (1)

Snow Fairy

Dancing Rain

Apapane

Italian Red

Aventura

Kyoto Racecourse

On Sunday, Nov. 13, Kyoto Racecourse will host the 36th running of the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup. A top-class, highly competitive field featuring some of Japan's best fillies and mares will be highlighted by the participation of last year's winner Snow Fairy, the first overseas-based runner to ace the race and Dancing Rain, one of Europe's hottest 3-year-old fillies.

From the home team will come the likes of Apapane, Italian Red and Aventura, three of Japanese racing's best females.

The Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup originated as the Victoria Cup in 1970 and represented the final leg of the fillies' Triple Crown. The race was given its current name following Queen Elizabeth's visit to Japan in 1975 and shortened a furlong to 2,200 meters in 1996. It was opened to all female horses over the age of 3. The QII has since become the stage where many of the best of the 3-year-old females compete alongside older horses for the first time in a Grade 1 race. The Shuka Sho (2,000 meters, Kyoto) replaced the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup as the third race of the "Triple Tiara."

The Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup allowed a maximum of five foreign horses in 1999, but the overseas allotment was increased to nine in 2007, when Japan was promoted to a Part I Country of the International Cataloging Standards. Last year, after a number of bids from overseas, Snow Fairy landed the first win for the foreign raiders.

The Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup also serves as the opening act of the Japan Autumn International, a series featuring four Grade 1 races in as many weekends – with total prize money of more than 1.18 billion yen. Following the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup in the Japan Autumn International is the Mile Championship (which will also see participation of the top-caliber filly Sahpresa and Immortal Verse this year) the Japan Cup (2,400 meters, Tokyo) and the Japan Cup Dirt (1,800 meters, Hanshin).

The QEII is run over 2,200 meters of turf on a right-handed track. The race starts from the homestretch, travels flat for 1,020 meters before traveling uphill at a 0.9 percent grade for 400 meters and the start of the bend. This point, 800 meters out, is the highest point of the track. From here there is a steep 2.28 percent downward grade for 140 meters leading into the homestretch. The 404-meter homestretch is flat throughout. The race record is held by To the Victory, who clocked 2 minutes, 11.2 seconds a decade ago. Dantsu Seattle holds the track record at 2 minutes 10.2 seconds.

Weights for the QEII are set at 54 kilograms for 3-year-olds, 56 kg for 4-year-olds and above. The first place prize money is 90 million yen, and the maximum number of starters is 18.

The two guests for this year's race arrived in Japan late last month: Snow Fairy, last year's champion, and the reigning English and German Oaks champ Dancing Rain, who qualifies for a bonus of 63 million yen if she can capture the Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup. Snow Fairy bagged the bonus last year.

The 3-year-old Dancing Rain, who claimed the dual Oaks, also picked up the inaugural running of the British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes at Ascot last time out on Oct. 15.

The Irish-bred Snow Fairy, also a double Oaks winner, albeit in England and Ireland, is by Intikhab, out of the Charnwood Forest mare Woodland Dream, and is now 6 for 18 with four seconds. She ran third in the Champion Stakes at Ascot last time out, paired with Olivier Peslier, and before that, third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe under Lanfranco Dettori. She has failed to win in any of her five races this year but has not been far off the mark, with only one race out of the money.

Snow Fairy, owned by Anamoine Ltd., will again be ridden by Ryan Moore, 28, who rode her in last year's Queen Elizabeth and to both of her wins of the Irish and English Oaks last year. The dark bay Snow Fairy is trained by the 43-year-old Edward Dunlop, son of the celebrated Arundel trainer John Dunlop.

The Irish-bred Dancing Rain, by Danehill Dancer out of the Indian Ridge mare, Rain Flower, is currently 4 for 7 with two seconds. She is trained by William Haggas and is owned by M J & L A Taylor. The filly is set to be ridden in Kyoto by Irish jockey John Murtaugh, 41, who rode her the last time out and twice previous for two wins total.

The Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup is scheduled to get under way at 3:40 p.m. at Kyoto Racecourse.