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Queen Elizabeth II 1952-2022: How racing became the Queen’s dynamic passion | Racing news



Racing was the only honor of the Queen during her 70-year reign.

The Queen is passively involved in many other sports, handing out prizes at Wimbledon or the FA Cup final, meeting teams competing in the Challenge of God or opening the Commonwealth Games and London Olympics .

But racing has always been an active passion. That can be seen in the 1953 Derby news footage, just days after Coronation, as the excitement of her own inclined Aureole horse at the Epsom Classic is available for all to see.

There were no royal victories that day, as her colt narrowly fell to Pinza, who gave Sir Gordon Richards an elusive grand slam victory at the 28th attempt.

But the Queen’s distinctive purple and red colors have brought much success since then, as one woman was once a ‘hard-working’ owner, heavily involved in the breeding and training of her bloodlines. .

She continues a long tradition of royal involvement in the sport dating back to King Charles II, who practically founded Newmarket as a training centre, and Queen Anne, who founded the Ascot racecourse.

Her father George VI was very successful on the Flat track, winning three crowns with the Sun Chariot in 1942, and his daughter’s love of the sport was a huge motivator for racing. car.

Even before her reign began, Meyrick Good of The Sporting Life wrote in 1948: “It is a matter of greatest satisfaction to every race in the land where the Queen inherits the throne, the Princess. HRH Elizabeth, is a huge fan of the pitch”.

Her first winner was partnering with the Queen when Monaveen won the jumps at Fontwell in 1949, but it was at Flat that she made her mark.

The Queen was crowned champion in 1954, when Cecil Boyd-Rochfort’s Aureole lifted the Stocks of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth and also returned to Epsom to win the Coronation Cup.

The Queen regained the title in 1957, after Carozza – the least favorite of her two runners from Noel Murless stables – gave her her first Classic success.

Her three-year-old seems certain to make it inside the last Silken Glider glider, but an inspiring ride by Lester Piggott has the royal clinging to the narrowest of margins, in the face of antiquity. enthusiastically danced from the crowd when the results were announced.

The Queen’s fortunes dipped slightly after Pall Mall lowered the 2000 Guineas record at Newmarket in 1958, with Canisby in Eclipse and Aiming High in the Share crowned among her few major race winners in the 1960s. .

But a purple patch just around the corner. In 1974, another narrow classic success was Highclere, ridden by Joe Mercer for Dick Hern, which had just come out of Polygamy by a short-head in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket before following up at French Oaks at Chantilly.

The 1977 Silver Jubilee proved a year old thanks to Dunfermline.

First, the chubby boy overcame the difficulty of running to collect cows in Epsom under the direction of Willie Carson. She then inflicted her first defeat against double winner Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe allegedly winning St Leger at Doncaster.

The period since then has seen a lot of success, particularly at Royal Ascot where Blueprint, Dartmouth, Color Sergeant, Phantom Gold and most famously the vibrant stout Estim all hit gold.

What follows will be a lasting memory of a wonderful encounter for anyone fortunate enough to be there or watch on television, with the joy on His Majesty’s face being the joy seen after victory in the battle. Queen’s Vase and Gold Cup – with Estimated to be the first horse to land the grand race in the color of a reigning king.

But the Derby has always eluded her, with Milford being beaten in 10th place behind steady companion Troy in 1979 and Carlton House in third to Pour Moi in 2011 5-2.

The Oaks’ hopes of a third win for Queen were high when Height Of Fashion won the championship two years old in 1981, but the decision was made to skip Epsom as relations felt that she would couldn’t handle the undulation of course like she did for a long time. -striding filly.

Her next race was the Princess of Wales shares in Newmarket, which she won before being sold to Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum for £1.5 million.

Proceeds were invested in royal chains, but Height Of Fashion proved one of the best ranches of the century and produced many fine horses – including Nashwan, who won both the Guineas and the Guineas. 2000 and Derby in 1989.

Boyd-Rochfort and Murless were succeeded by Roger Charlton, Richard Hannon, Michael Bell and Sir Michael Stoute as royal coaches, and all were wildly successful.

Stoutes are never too excited and neither is racer Ryan Moore, but Dartmouth and Estim’s feat at Royal Ascot clearly means as much to them as their owners, whose love and devotion are so great. for the sport has helped to keep racing in the sporting spotlight for a long time. .

Keith Hamer picks the five best horses to run in the colors of the Queen:

AUREOLE

Almost gave the Queen a fairytale victory in the 1953 Coronation Derby when he finished second to Pinza. Coached by Captain Cecil Boyd-Rochfort, he also finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas and third in St Leger. He went on to become the best old horse in Europe in 1954 with victories in the Crowning Cup, Hardwicke Stakes and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

PALL MALL

Also coached by Boyd-Rochfort, he made the 1958 2000 Guineas the first Classic winner bred by Her Majesty. He justified his decision to keep him training at the age of 4 by enhancing his reputation with a Lockinge Staking win.

HIGH-CLASS

Coach Dick Hern prepared her to win 1000 Guineas in her seasonal debut in heart-pounding fashion by a short head from Polygamy, who went on to upend the Oaks herd. Highclere overtook Epsom for the French bulls (Prix de Diane) and was the only horse to win both races. She also placed second behind Dahlia in King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

DUNFERMLINE

This made the 1977 Queen’s Silver Anniversary even more special with the win in not one Classic but two. She won the Oaks despite being interfered with running and then proceeded to Doncaster for St Leger, where she inflicted the only defeat against Alleged. She is also reliable fourth behind that horse in the Arc.

ESTIMATE

Estimates gave the Queen her best Royal Ascot moment as she fought back against Simenon’s late accusations of lifting the 2013 Gold Cup, with the two-and-a-half-mile contest featuring numerous jewels in the crown at the road. racing Berkshire. It is estimated to have won the Queen’s Vase the previous year but she was unable to defend her title in 2014, runner-up but was ultimately disqualified because of a failed drug test.





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