When the late Queen won at the horse races some decades ago, her excited reaction to the victory couldn’t have been sweeter, even though the late monarch won a mere £16
One of the late Queen Elizabeth’s biggest passions was horses, from riding them herself to breeding and training them to take part in races – and her stable had an impressive success rate.
Shortly after the death of the late monarch, a clip of her uncharacteristically letting her guard down at the races and running in public made the rounds, with royal fans quick to note how sweet the moment was, and how excited the late Queen seemed for one special reason.
King Charles – as well as other members of the Royal Family like Princess Anne and Zara Tindall – has inherited the late Queen’s love for horseracing – as well as her stable. Although the King reportedly sold off around 14 of his mother’s mares last year – making around £1 million – he has kept the majority of the thoroughbreds, and today saw Treasure – a filly bred by Queen Elizabeth – take part in the Betfred Oaks race at the iconic Epsom Downs racecourse.
When the video of the late Queen getting excited over a racing win resurfaced after her death, royal fans were delighted to see a more informal, excitable side to the usually dignified monarch. The short clip captured the monarch at Epsom Racecourse, where she was attending the Derby all the way back in 1991, when she was in her 60s.
It was part of a documentary entitled Elizabeth R, and the sweet moment saw the Queen absolutely running across to the balcony so she could watch a horse called Generous run in the major race. Through her binoculars Elizabeth excitedly watched Generous manage a seriously impressive five-length win, and it was revealed that the horse was her choice in the Royal Box sweepstake.
Dressed in the usual bright colours that the public came to associate with the monarch – this time a matching purple ensemble – she had begun to watch the race of a screen, before deciding that she needed to see this one for herself and making a mad dash to the balcony where the Queen Mother was and the two women watched it side by side.
“That’s my horse, isn’t it? That’s my horse!” the Queen was recorded saying excitedly. “Oh my god, Mother! We won!” She was then given her winnings from the sweepstake: “What do I get”‘ she asked an aide.
“Well, you get 16, Ma’am,” they answered. “Sixteen pounds! Oh!” said the Queen, smiling broadly to the camera. While £16 was a mere drop in the ocean for the wealthy monarch, her excitement at her win showed just how much she loved the sport itself.
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