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Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen finally lays her hands on the elusive Epsom Derby trophy

The Queen has finally managed to get a grasp of the elusive Epsom Derby trophy, albeit a for a short time, as she presented the award to the connections of winning horse, Harzand.

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Her Majesty was asked to present the trophy by Epsom Downs Racecource as a 90th birthday present, for her loyalty to the meeting over the years.

The 90-year-old monarch has longed to get hold of the trophy, but has never had any luck as an owner.

In her 63 years on the throne, the Queen has attended almost every Derby meeting, but despite ten attempts, she never won the race.

Her first Derby runner was in 1953 and the latest was in 2011 when Carlton House finished 3rd. The closest she has ever been to winning the race was in her coronation year, 1953, when Aureole finished second to Pinza.

The Aga Khan’s horse, Harzand, trained by Dermot Weld won the race with jockey Pat Smullen on board.

Her Majesty presented the colt’s connections with the trophy during the winner’s presentation. This was H H Aga Khan’s 5th Derby win.

After losing a shoe earlier in the day and suffering a foot injury, it was feared that Harzand wouldn’t be able to run. However, he came back strong to win the prestigious race.

US Army Ranger, who is trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, finished second place and Idaho came third.

When it was announced that Her Majesty would be presenting the trophy, Rupert Trevelyan, London regional director for The Jockey Club, said: “We are delighted to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th birthday at the Investec Derby this year.

“We were honoured that Her Majesty accepted an invitation to present the Investec Derby Trophy to the winning connections as part of our activity to celebrate her 90th birthday.

“The Queen attended the Derby just four days after her coronation in 1953 and she has continued to show her support for the race over the subsequent six decades, only missing the event on two occasions.

“This is especially remarkable, and gives us a great sense of pride, given that this event is outside of her official Royal engagements. The longevity of her patronage to this event is testament to her passion for racing.”

 

Featured Photo Credit: Mikepaws via photopin cc

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