Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO)
Group 1, Ascot 14:30 £1,100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
Saturday 17th October 2015

1 Solow 11/10F
2 Belardo 33/1
3 Gabrial 66/1
9 ran Distances: ¾l, 1½l, hd
TIME 1m 41.92s (slow by 3.12s)

Nine wins in a row, and now five Group 1 victories for Solow

Solow
© Racehorse Photos

Solow's triumph in the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO was his fifth consecutive Group One win of the season. The grey five-year-old, bred by his owners, Wertheimer Et Frere, held off Belardo by three-quarters of a length. He was the 11/10 favourite for the race.

Freddy Head, who trains the son of Singspiel in Chantilly, France, said: "What can you say? He's always the same; gives the same sort of race. He's a brilliant horse. He's a miler who can stay - a tough miler with a lot of stamina. He's not the sort of miler who needs to be hidden and come with burst. He can come from a long way out.

"Maxime [Guyon, Solow's jockey] was very happy. He said that was his best win since the Queen Anne Stakes here at Royal Ascot.

"Now Solow is going to have a rest. He will go back for a few weeks at his owner's stud and then come back to my yard and try to get ready for Dubai next year.

"We'll try to come back and win the same races next year - the same programme. I don't think I'll try him over a long distance yet - maybe one day."

Solow has won his last nine races. This season they have included the Dubai Turf at Meydan, the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp, the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, all at Group One level.

Solow's jockey Maxime Guyon, who has won five Group Ones this season on the son of Singspiel, said: "He is an amazing horse, he is very easy to ride. He doesn't pull, he is very relaxed and, if there is cover, there is cover, if there isn't cover, there isn't cover - it is perfect.

"Today we had a very good race, he likes the good ground, he likes the soft ground, he is perfect and today he was really good because he hasn't run for two months so to come back from that is not easy, but he is the best."

"Solow's amazing, he's very easy and he's the best. He makes it very simple for the jockey to ride him.

"It's never easy to win a Group One on a big day at Ascot and now I've won two with this horse."

Gleneagles
© Caroline Norris

Commenting on the much-anticipated clash with QIPCO Guineas winner Gleneagles who finished sixth, Guyon added: "We knew Gleneagles doesn't like the ground soft and I know that Solow likes that. Gleneagles has not run for a long time, so it is not easy for him.

"Solow is the best horse in my career, I have won five Group Ones on him this year. I don't know if I can ride another one like him."

It was a second successive Queen Elizabeth II Stakes for Freddy Head, after Charm Spirit last year. "This horse is very special," he said, "to be able to keep his form all year with the journeys he's made. I've never had a moment's bother with him. H's sound, easy to train, always fit and just very easy.

"On his pedigree, I thought he would be a stayer and then he was working so well with some pace at home that I thought I'd try him over shorter trips. We can look forward to doing it all again next year."

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Sponsored By Qipco (British Champions Mile) (Group 1) (Str)
£1,100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
9 ran
Going: Good to soft, soft in places on round course

Pos	Dr	D	Horse SP	Jockey Weight	Trainer	Age
1st	(2)		Solow 11/10f	M Guyon 9-4	F Head	5
2nd	(4)	¾	Belardo (IRE) 33/1	James Doyle 9-1	R Varian	3
3rd	(5)	1½	Gabrial (IRE) 66/1	P Hanagan 9-4	R A Fahey	6
4th	(9)	hd	Integral 20/1	L Dettori 9-1	Sir Michael Stoute	5
5th	(7)	nk	Elm Park 16/1	Andrea Atzeni 9-1	A M Balding	3
6th	(1)	hd	Gleneagles (IRE) 9/4	R L Moore 9-1	A P O'Brien	3
7th	(6)	½	Territories (IRE) 8/1	M Barzalona 9-1	A Fabre	3
8th	(8)	nk	Kodi Bear (IRE) 7/1	G Mosse 9-1	C G Cox	3
9th	(3)	1	Top Notch Tonto (IRE) 50/1	S De Sousa 9-4	B Ellison	5