The FWD QEII Cup is the jewel among the three Group 1 features in the FWD Champions Day, with the purse increased to HK$28 million this year.

The race was first run on the Happy Valley sand track over 1575m in 1975 and had several different guises until it was opened up to international competition as a 2200m turf contest at Sha Tin in 1995. In 1997 it switched to the 2000m distance familiar today.

Overseas raiders won the first three editions, Red Bishop being the pathfinder in 1995, followed by Overbury (1996) and London News (1997). The locals struck back with Oriental Express in 1998. Japanese visitor Loves Only You won the 2021 edition and local hero Romantic Warrior took consecutive honours in 2022 and 2023.

This race has been a stepping stone to Horse of the Year glory. Four of the local winners of the QEII Cup over the past decade, namely Ambitious Dragon (2011), Military Attack (2013), Designs On Rome (2014) and Werther (2016), took the end-of year honour in the same season.

The race was ranked equal 30th in the IFHA World’s Top 100 G1 Races in 2023.