Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO)
Group 1, Ascot 15:10 £1,100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
Saturday 15th October 2016

1 Minding 7/4F
2 Ribchester 7/2
3 Lightning Spear 9/1
13 ran Distances: ½l, 1l, 2¼l
TIME 1m 38.53s (fast by 0.27s)

Trainer Aidan O'Brien posted his third ever winner on QIPCO British Champions Day when Minding ran out the impressive half a length victor of the Group One Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (sponsored by QIPCO) at Ascot this afternoon.

Minding
© Racehorse Photos

The 7/4 favourite, who was recording her fifth Group One winner of the season and seventh in all, was always travelling powerfully for jockey Ryan Moore and the pair accelerated to the front just over a furlong from home.

The three-year-old had to dig deep to repel the challenge of the Richard Fahey-trained Ribchester (7/2), who finished in the runner-up spot, a length ahead of 9/1 shot Lightning Spear, but they stuck on gamely to record a famous victory.

O'Brien waxed lyrical about his superstar filly after the race.

"It's unbelievable - she's an incredible filly," said the trainer.

"Her usual work rider got off her recently and said she couldn't believe the piece of work that Minding had just done - she's incredible. All the people that are involved with her on a daily basis have done a great job. I'm delighted for the lads and I'm delighted for everybody. She's a very special filly.

"She's won at the top level at a mile, mile and a quarter and a mile and a half and then to bring her back down in trip to win an all-aged mile race, they have to be very special.

"I can't say enough about her. I'd imagine that would be it now for her for the rest of the year. The plan was to come here and try and win and maybe the lads will now bring her back to race again next year. They'll sit down and talk about that now but hopefully she can race again.

"She's an incredible filly. A filly who can get a mile and a half and then go and do that over this sort of trip is very special."

Having been up near the pace early under William Buick, the Richard Fahey-trained Ribchester battled on gamely after being headed by Minding around two furlong pole.

Ribchester
© Racehorse Photos

The three-year-old son of Iffraaj rallied in the closing stages to finish a half-length behind Aidan O'Brien's filly in the Group One mile contest. Lightning Spear (9/1), trained by David Simcock, was a further length back in third.

The performance capped a memorable campaign for Fahey's colt who claimed his first Group One success in the Prix Du Haras De Fresnay-Le-Buffard - Jacques Le Marois at Deauville and also finished second in the Qatar Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.

Fahey, who also saddled Growl to finish second in the six-furlong QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes, said: "He wasn't unlucky but he maybe just over-raced a little bit in the early stages of the race.

"As I always say, he is a horse with a very high cruising speed and they couldn't go quick enough for him early on.

"We are really happy with the run. He came back at Minding at the end of the race there but I am a huge admirer of the winner, she is a wonderful filly and we can be proud of how our horse has run."

Fahey added: "That was his last run of the season, he's finished now."

Chris Hayes, rider of the fourth-placed Awtaad, said: I'm very proud of him. He ran a good honest race and the conditions were fine for him.

"It was just a pity that we were drawn away from the pace but he has done us proud."

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes
Sponsored By Qipco (British Champions Mile) (Group 1) (Str)
£1,100,000 added, 3yo plus, 1m, Class 1
13 ran
Going: Good