Laughterlines Wins Queen Elizabeth II Cup by a Neck Over Kamunyak

Laughterlines finished in 2:14.7, well short of the course and race record. Aqua Vernal held on for third. This year's Oaks winner, Juryoku Pierrot, finished 11th, and the 2024 winner, Cervinia, was 14th.

"I was told that she wasn't the quickest out of the gates, but she broke fairly well today and although we were near the rear, the position we sat in wasn't bad," Take said. "The pace was slow, so I decided to stay put and wait till we hit the stretch. Her response was incredible, more than anyone could ask for."

The win was Take's 88th grade 1 victory and his fifth in the QE II Cup. It was the first top-level win for Laughterlines, for her sire Al Ain, a son of Deep Impact, and for trainer Michihiro Ogasa.

"For a 3-year-old filly to show a performance like that against top fillies and mares like today's field, it certainly proves that she has outstanding potential and a future we can look forward to," Take said.

Injury and a late return

The filly raced three times in late 2025. She finished second on debut, then won a Tokyo Racecourse maiden event on Oct. 5. She ended the year third in the 1,600-meter Koyamaki Sho on Dec. 6 at Chukyo Racecourse.

Ogasa kept her at 1,800 meters for her 2026 debut, and she again finished third. Stepping up to 2,000 meters, she won the Flora Stakes (G2), which earned her a place in the April 26 Oaks.

She sustained a leg injury after that race and missed a start in the Mainichi Okan (G2). She came to the QE II Cup without a prep race.

Ogasa had counted on her running style before the race. "We brought her back in late October and changed our target again," he said. "She has good late speed and the course should suit."

Bred by Northern Farm, Laughterlines races for Sunday Racing. Her dam, Bangor, is by King Kamehameha.