The Queen was delighted at the final day of Royal Ascot yesterday, as her horse, Darthmouth, won the Hardwicke Stakes, and it was Princess Beatrice who presented her grandmother with the trophy.
Dartmouth was ridden by Olivier Peslier, and marks Her Majesty’s first win at the elite meet since 2013. After the victory, The Queen stroked her horse and smiled, making no mistake of her passion for horses.
Later on the Parade Ring, the Monarch proudly collected her silver trophy and a bottle of Bollinger Champagne for the win, presented to her by Princess Beatrice, who seemed as happy as The Queen.
John Warren Her Majesty the Queen’s Bloodstock and Racing Advisor said: “It’s been a long week and there have been a few ups and downs.
“This is the Olympics [of racing] and even to have a runner here is huge. To end up with a winner is so fantastic.”
The Queen pats her horse Dartmouth, after winning The Hardwick Stakes on Day Five of Royal Ascot. Picture by Andrew Parsons / i-Images
John Warren also spoke of Prince Charles’s and his growing passion for horse racing: “About 30 years ago, he told me that racehorse ownership was probably like gardening,” Warren reported. “Until you owned your own garden, you’d never quite understand what it was all about and when you own your own garden, you start looking after it and you have to concentrate.”
“He said, coming into Ascot, he was so thrilled. The anticipation of owning a horse to come here was so enormous, he said he couldn’t explain the feeling. And now I actually think he’s seriously got the bug, which is so important for British racing, of course. Both he and The Duchess of Cornwall are absolutely smitten.”
Camilla is a regular at race meetings throughout the year, but Friday was the first time that she and Prince Charles had a runner at Royal Ascot. They had a second in the Wolferton stakes Saturday.
Every day at Royal Ascot offered prize money of at least £1 million, total prize-money for the week this year was £6.58 million compared to last year, 2015, which offered £5,5 million of prize money.
Saturday’s Results:
14.30 The Chesham Stakes (Listed) 7f – Churchill 8/11 fav
15.05 The Wolferton Rated Stakes (Listed) 1 ¼m – Sir Isaac Newton 7-1
15.40 The Hardwicke Stakes (Group 2) 1 ½m – Dartmouth 10-1
16.20 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) 6f – Twilight Son 7-2
17.00 The Wokingham Stakes (Heritage Handicap) 6f – Outback Traveller 10-1
17.35 The Queen Alexandra Stakes (Conditions) 2m 6f –Commissioned 12-1
