From Danehill to Black Caviar - Australia's Jubilee Stakes Legacy

Alex Marsh

Editor

Last updated: Thu 18 Jun 2026 05:20

Alex Marsh 4 hours ago

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Joliestar aims to join Aussie greats in the QEII Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot
Australian horses like Choisir, Black Caviar & Merchant Navy have previously won
Strong family and historic ties make Joliestar’s bid especially significant

Johnny Murtagh celebrates aboard Choisir after their historic Golden Jubilee Stakes victory at Royal Ascot in 2003. (Getty)

The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes has produced some of Royal Ascot's most memorable Australian moments.

Choisir, Black Caviar and Merchant Navy all won the prestigious sprint, while Danehill's 1989 victory would later resonate throughout Australian racing as one of the most influential stallions of the modern era.

Joliestar will attempt to add her name to that distinguished honour roll this week. As the Chris Waller-trained mare chases Group 1 success on the grand stage, it is worth revisiting the history of a race that has forged a unique and enduring connection with Australian racing since its inception in 1868.

1868 and the Birth of a Royal Ascot Tradition

1868: Glencoe won the eighth running of the Melbourne Cup. The last convict ship arrived on Australian shores. William Booth established what would become the Salvation Army. African Americans were granted citizenship in the United States. The city of Edo was renamed Tokyo. Thomas Edison applied for his first patent. The first secondary school opened in Brisbane.

And, at Royal Ascot, the All-Aged Stakes was run for the first time.

One hundred and fifty-eight years on, the race endures through several name changes. From 1926 until 2001 it was known as the Cork and Orrery Stakes, while since 2002 various Jubilee titles have commemorated milestones in Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

Following the Queen's passing in 2022, the race was renamed the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes from 2023.

Contested on the final day of Royal Ascot — aside from the years lost to the two World Wars — the six-furlong (1200m) sprint boasts an impressive honour roll, including a horse whose influence on Australian racing would prove profound.

That horse was Danehill, the nine-time Australian Champion Sire, who captured the race in 1989.

Choisir: Paving the Way

Fourteen years later, Danehill's grandson Choisir returned to the scene of that victory, backing up from his dazzling King's Stand Stakes triumph four days earlier to complete one of the greatest weeks in Australian racing history.

While Royal Ascot had not originally been on Choisir's radar — he had been bound for Singapore before a SARS outbreak forced the cancellation of racing there — his success in Britain opened the door for future Australian challengers to target the prestigious carnival.

Since Choisir's breakthrough, three more Australian-trained horses have won the Jubilee: his son Starspangledbanner in 2010, the mighty mare Black Caviar in 2012 and Merchant Navy in 2018.

Since Merchant Navy's victory, Australian hopes have been carried by Artorius, who ran gallant thirds and fourths in consecutive attempts, while Storm Boy and Cannonball finished unplaced. Australian-bred runners Enzo's Lad (representing New Zealand) and Wellington (Hong Kong) have also taken their chances.

It feels overdue for another Australian winner, and this year that honour could fall to Joliestar, who heads north after winning each of her past three starts, including her last two at Group 1 level.

Joliestar Chasing Family History

The mare is one of the headline chances to continue her winning streak and, should she succeed, she would become the second member of her immediate family to win the Jubilee and provide a second victory in the race for breeders Chris and Jane Barham.

The Barhams also bred Merchant Navy, whose full sister Jolie Bay is the dam of Joliestar.

There is further family history woven through the race. Joliestar's ancestress, the celebrated matriarch Chelandry — whose descendants include I Am Invincible — also appears in the pedigree of Kearney, winner of the then-Cork and Orrery Stakes in 1980.

Joliestar will be partnered by James McDonald, who enjoyed Royal Ascot success on the opening day this week aboard Map Of Stars in the Listed Wolferton Stakes.

McDonald is already a Group 1-winning rider at Royal Ascot, having steered Nature Strip to a breathtaking 4½-length victory in the King's Stand Stakes four years ago. Another triumph on Joliestar would add yet another chapter to Australia's rich history in one of the carnival's most prestigious sprints.