The Royal Family have a rich history of owning and watching race horses, and Queen Elizabeth had always been an enthusiastic supporter of horse racing.
Early years
The Queen’s interest in racing developed at an early age and flourished when she joined her mother and father on a visit to Fred Darling’s stables in the spring of 1942.
It was there that the then 16-year-old Princess Elizabeth was introduced to Big Game, the recent winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket for George VI - and she was left awe-struck. Later, on getting married, she was given her first racehorse Astrakhan, bu the Aga Khan. Astrakhan ran second on her debut at Ascot in October 1949.
Her first winner came three days later at Fontwell Park when Monaveen, who she owned with her mother, won a steeplechase under Tony Grantham for trainer Peter Cazalet.
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Race winners
Queen Elizabeth owned numerous stunning thoroughbreds throughtout the years, and had great success in the races too. Her horses won five British Classics:
Pall Mall won the 2000 Guineas in 1958
Highclere won the 1000 Guineas in 1974
Carrozza won the Epsom Oaks in 1957
Dunfermline won the Epsom Oaks in 1977 and also won the St Leger Stakes that same year
The Derby remains the only British Classic to elude Her Majesty. Aureole finished runner-up in the 1953 Derby, four days after her Coronation, whilst Carlton House finished third in 2011, having started out as a well-fancied favourite.
Her Majesty’s best horses
Although Aureole could not fashion a Derby victory in Coronation week, he returned the following year to win the Ascot race named after the Queen’s parents, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1954. It was thus a poignant triumph. The Queen was present to see Aureole win but she was unwell on the day Pall Mall won the 2000 Guineas. However, Her Majesty was on hand to witness Highclere’s triumph in the 1000 Guineas 16 years later.
In 1954 and 1957 the Queen was named British Flat Racing Champion Owner, the first reigning Monarch to ever do so twice.
Royal silks and fashion
The jockeys riding Her Majesty’s horses can be identified by The Queen’s racing colours: purple body with gold braid, scarlet sleeves, and black velvet cap with gold fringe – the same as those of King Edward VII and George IV as Prince Regent.
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The Queen herself always bought a splash of colour to the racecourse and there was always great interest in what the Queen would be wearing. At Royal Ascot, viewers waited in anticipation and often had a small wager on what shade the Queen would be wearing each day which would be matched perfectly to her hat.
“The Queen didn't want to have hat brims that are too big as she had to get in and out of cars and she wanted people to see her," said her Millner Rachel Trevor-Morgan, "The Queen tended to like a lot of bright colours, clear colours because she was seen and stood out.” [From an interview in the Daily Telegraph in 2012]