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May 20, 2022

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20 May 2022
JRA Public Relations
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Commemorative Races and Events

To celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee of her 70th year on the throne, the Epsom Cup (GIII) and the Queen Elizabeth Cup (GI) will be held as commemorative races, and various related events will be held. These events will be held with special permission from Buckingham Palace.

1. Platinum Jubilee Events in the UK
Various events and activities will take place in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend, a special extended four-day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday, 2nd June to Sunday, 5th June 2022.  The four days of celebrations will include the Queen’s Birthday Parade, a Service of Thanksgiving service, concerts, and other events. The Derby at Epsom Downs on 4th June forms a part of the main events.

2. Commemorative JRA Races
(1) The 39th EPSOM CUP - PLATINUM JUBILEE - (G3)

  1. Sunday, 12th June, Tokyo Racecourse, Race 11

(2) The 47th QUEEN ELIZABETH II CUP - PLATINUM JUBILEE (G1)

  1. Sunday, 13th November, Hanshin Racecourse, Race 11

3. Other Commemorative Events
On the day of each commemorative race, the JRA will hold events and other activities related to the United Kingdom.

(1) Events on Epsom Cup Day – Sunday, 12th June at Tokyo Racecourse

  1. The Derby-themed talk show
    (JRA advisor Kazuo Fujisawa, a representative of The Jockey Club, and others are scheduled to appear.)
  2. Raffle event with a chance to win The Derby Race Card
    (Details to be announced at a later date.) 

(2) Events on Queen Elizabeth II Cup Day – Sunday, 13th Nov at Hanshin Racecourse

  1. Details to be announced at a later date.

4. Platinum Jubilee Official Emblem
The official Platinum Jubilee Emblem will be used for commemorative races and related events.

*The emblem was designed by Edward Roberts, from Nottinghamshire, England, a 19
year old graphic design student at the University of Leeds who won the competition held last year.

5. Others
The Derby will be broadcasted live on the Green Channel's program "ALL IN LINE - Horse Racing Around the World" on the late night of Saturday, 4th June.

Race History

(1) The Epsom Cup
In 1983, at the 50th Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), Tokyo Racecourse and Epsom Racecourse, the venue of the Derby in the UK, formed a sister racecourse alliance. The following year in 1984, the first Epsom Cup was held at Tokyo Racecourse and The JRA Condition Stakes was held at Epsom Racecourse. Since then, the two racecourses, the JRA, and the Jockey Club have promoted goodwill between them through such exchange races. This year's exchange race at Epsom will be held as "The JRA Tokyo Trophy Handicap Stakes" on the Derby Stakes day (4th June).

(2) The Queen Elizabeth II Cup
Victoria Cup was established in 1970 as the final race of the Triple Crown for 3-year-old fillies, and was renamed in 1976 as the Queen Elizabeth II Cup to commemorate the Queen's visit to Japan in 1975. In 2012, considering the race’s close ties to the Royal Family, special permission was given for the race to be named as Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup - Diamond Jubilee (G1) to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne. This kind of permission to name a race after the Queen is not usually given outside of the British Commonwealth. Due to renovation of Kyoto Racecourse, the race is to be held at the Hanshin Racecourse this year.
Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) related contents