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.”
Connections are also eyeing options over further than six furlongs later in the season, with Deauville’s Prix Maurice de Gheest just one race that will be considered post-Royal Ascot.
Brown added: “Later in the year I’d love to explore seven furlongs and then you have races like the Prix Maurice de Gheest which is six and a half which was James Doyle’s first reaction to what might be perfect for her.
“So there will be plenty of options for later in the year after we’ve been to Ascot. It would be great to bag a big one with her.”
That consistency and toughness make Flora Of Bermuda a natural contender for this stiff six furlongs, particularly given her proven effectiveness at Ascot. However, she is unlikely to have matters her own way with a formidable Australian challenger set to head to Berkshire.
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."
The arrival of Joliestar adds a fascinating international dimension to the race. Australian sprinters have traditionally thrived at Royal Ascot when bringing both speed and tactical sharpness, and her ability to quicken strongly off a fierce pace could make her ideally suited to Ascot’s straight six furlongs.
As ever, the Jubilee Stakes is likely to develop into a searching test where stamina at the trip becomes just as important as outright pace. Ascot’s demanding finish can expose even the highest-class sprinters, particularly those who race too freely early.
In that context, the balance between speed, toughness and tactical positioning becomes decisive. Flora Of Bermuda’s reliability and course form make her a major contender once more, while Joliestar arrives with elite international credentials and the profile of a mare capable of making a significant impact on British soil.
QEII Jubilee Stakes (Group 1)
(British Champions Series & Global Sprint Challenge)
£1,000,000 guaranteed, 4yo+, 6f, Class 1
46 remaining entries
Going:
Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes
Past Winners
