Royal Ascot is a must for any race goer and is the highlight on the equestrian calendar year in year out, with the who’s who of the world’s most sought after people, horses and jockeys in attendance.
Royal Ascot has been going since 1711 and has grown in popularity to the extent that some tickets have a waiting list system.
Twelve months on from the successes of Frankel and Black Caviar, the five days this year served up an emotive, sometimes eye watering, sequence of high quality race performances.
Ladies day proved a great success for the guest of honour her majesty the queen as her gleaming smile revealed all the day would go down in history not just for the Queen, but also for what is dubbed as the Sport of Kings with which she is so fundamentally associated.
Sixty years after celebrating a first Royal Ascot winner as an owner, the year of her coronation, she has crowned the Ladies’ Day where prominent ladies made the afternoon of racing an extraordinary.
Her filly Estimate just held on in a pulsating running of the 207th Gold Cup that saw the monarch break free of her regal sobriety to show the absolute delight of winning.
As the four-year-old saw off the Irish challenge of Simenon and the French raider Top Trip, she applauded alongside her racing manager John Warren in the royal box.
THE Queens Winning Team Consisted of:
Horse: Estimate – A four-year-old filly bred in Ireland by the Aga Khan. Has won four of her seven races. Career earnings: About £280.000
Owner: The Queen, 87, has about 40 horses in training on the Flat and over the jumps
Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute, 67. Royal Ascot wins: 66. Arrived in Britain from his native Barbados just before 20th birthday
Jockey: Ryan Moore, 29, champion jockey in 2006, 2008, 2009.
Winnings: A prize of £198,485 went to the Gold Cup winner. A small percentage goes to both the jockey and the trainer
Presentation: The Queen traditionally presents three trophies at Royal Ascot – the Royal Hunt Cup, the Gold Cup and the Queen’s Vase. The Duke of York stepped in this time
The Queen has presented the Gold Cup to the winning owner over the decades, however this time was finally her turn to collect the trophy as she became the first reigning monarch to win it.
The Queen was quoted in saying “This win is very high on my list, because it’s been done for a lady who, never mind being the Queen, loves racing, is a great supporter of racing and is so good for British racing.”
The Gold Cup had been followed by another hugely popular, and emotive, win for a filly as Riposte – ridden by Tom Queally a fitting triumphed for Lady Cecil, the widow of Royal Ascot’s legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil, who died aged 70 nine days earlier.
Amongst the attendee where a noticeable south Asian crowd, looking as pristine and groomed as they would for a big Asian wedding but with less bling and more elegance, gentleman where in suits and woman wore bright vibrant colours connected strongly to their south Asian roots, all of them had one common goal which was to win and have a fantastic experience, and it was hard to find a sombre person amongst the sea so smiles and laughter.
From the top-hatted toffs in the Royal Enclosure to the more cost effective Silver Ring, there was an air of celebration among the crowd of 61,954.
Ascot’s chief executive Charles Barnett was quoted in saying “some of the greatest scenes ever seen in the long history of the Royal meeting”.
Amongst the south Asian presence was a Bollywood icon, the stunning Aishwarya Rai she was there at the Longiness event. She has been a Longines Ambassador of Elegance for seven years and spent the day at Royal Ascot celebrating, Logines is the official Timekeeper of Royal Ascot but this year, also the official partner and watch of Royal Ascot. Aishwarya also presented a Conquest Classic watch to the winning jockey, owner, trainer and lad of Sole Power, winner of the King’s Stand Stakes, a prestigious Grade 1 race held on the opening of her day at the Royal Ascot meeting.
Royal Ascots Fact
The Queen’s winning horse Estimate is the first filly to win the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot since Indian Queen in 1991.
The ended with cheer and celebration, many vowing to come again next year.
By Emb Hashmi
