VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes

The VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 3 quality handicap race held at Flemington racecourse annually during the Melbourne spring racing carnival in November. The race is run over a distance of 2600 metres and worth $250,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes was won by Ironstein from Shootoff with Paddy O'Reilly third.

The race was held as the 'Queen's Cup' in 2010 and also increased in distance from 2500m to 2600m. The VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes takes place on Emirates Stakes day on the last day of the four day Flemington carnival, alongside feature Group 1 races, the Emirates Stakes and Patinack Farm Classic.

VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes info
Date:	Saturday 10th November 2012
Track:	Flemington racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	2600 metres
Race Type:	Quality Handicap
Status:	Group 3
Prizemoney:	$250,000
2011 Winner:	Ironstein

The VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a handicap race over 2600m and suits horses that may have raced previously in either the Gr1 Caulfield Cup or Gr1 Moonee Valley Cup or occasionally a Gr1 Melbourne Cup entrant may back up in this race on the following Saturday.

Horses contesting this event may head on towards the Gr2 Sandown Classic the following week and it's a race for above average stayers rather than the elite, although it has been won by some quality types over the years including triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva (2002) and Might and Power (1998).

Ironstein (2011) ran fifth in the listed City Tatts over 2400m at Randwick in Sydney before scoring a comfortable win in this event and recent VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winners have been Moudre (2010) and Sterling Prince (2009).

Spring Carnival Guide
The VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes is held on the final day of the Flemington carnival and attracts staying types looking for an easier staying race than the Caulfield Cup or Melbourne Cup.

Moudre (2010) ran second in the Gr3 Geelong Cup at Geelong and then finished fourth in the Gr3 The Lexus Stakes on Derby Day at Flemington on his way to winning this event, while Sterling Prince (2009) ran fifth in the The Lexus Stakes and Naval Escort (3rd in 2009) ran fourth in the same race.

2011 Queen Elizabeth Stakes result
1. $20.00 Ironstein 54.0 Brenton Avdulla
2. $9.50 Shootoff 57.0 Kerrin McEvoy
3. $20.00 Paddy O’Reilly 55.0 Nash Rawiller

then followed
4. $2.10 Bauer 57.0 Michael Rodd
5. $13.00 Anudjawun 54.0 Mark Zahra
6. $41.00 Sahara Sun 55.5 Dwayne Dunn
7. $31.00 Montgomery 54.0 Peter Mertens
8. $51.00 Back In Black 54.5 Danny Nikolic
9. $6.50 Macedonian 54.5 Luke Nolen
10. $15.00 Boom ’N’ Zoom 55.0 Craig Newitt
11. $51.00 Home On A Wing 54.0 Dean Yendall
12. $41.00 Raffaello 54.5 Ms Nikita McLean
13. $101.00 Tactic 54.5 Nicholas Hall
14. $41.00 Spechenka 54.0 Chris Munce

Margins: 2 1/4 len, 2 1/4 len
Time: 2:44.81

VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Ironstein	Shootoff	Paddy O'Reilly	2:44.8
2010	Moudre	Capecover	Persian Star	2:45.2
2009	Sterling Prince	Crossthestart	Naval Escort	2:34.5
2008	Capecover	Light Vision	Baughurst	2:38.8
2007	Zavite	Cefalu	Completion	2:38.5
2006	Gallant Guru	Magic Instinct	Fooram	2:40.6
2005	Our Smoking Joe	Coalesce	Grey Song	2:33.8
2004	Fantastic Love	Manawa King	Da Capo	2:44.8
2003	Zazzman	Lord Erin	Delvecchio	2:37.5
2002	Makybe Diva	Spirit Of Westbury	Time Off	2:35.7
2001	Hatha Anna	Ascana	Tiger's Eye	2:40.9
2000	Savrocca	Ultra Smug	Mayshiel	2:37.8
1999	Zerpour	Ithiyati	Cronus	2:41.0
1998	Might And Power	Oregon Star	Bulta	2:38.5
1997	Vita Man =1	Bright Spot =1	Royal Snack	2:38.0
1996	Valance	Beau Heed	Storm	2:36.1
1995	Pindi	Quick Ransom	Dark Ksar	2:40.1
1994	Bullwinkle	Bonamichie	Nassabidi	2:40.3
1993	Hear That Bell	Fans	London Bridge	2:35.0
1992	Kawtuban	Rough Habit	Nassa Rocket	2:33.0
1991	Frontier Ban	Mantlepiece	Stylish Century	2:33.4
1990	Savage Toss	Tramaurea	Ideal Centreman	2:31.8
1989	Our Shannon Lad	Vo Rogue	It's Candide	2:36.6
1988	Zamakima	Alfarasdq	Be Reasonable	2:38.0