It was all smiles for The Queen on Saturday as she attended one of her favourite engagements of the year – the Epsom Derby.
Dressed in a bright yellow floral dress and hat, the 91-year-old was seen smiling from the Royal Box with her Racing Manager John Warren.
The race is regarded as the most prestigious in the British racing calendar, and is held annually at Epsom Downs Racecourse, just under 15 miles from central London.
The race is only open to three year old colts and always attracts a very large crowd of enthusiastic spectators.
It is an occasion that Her Majesty never misses, however, she has never owned a winning horse as of yet.
The Queen currently has won over 1,600 races making her one of the most successful racehorse owners in history. She has had 10 runners in The Derby, the first in 1953 and the latest was in 2011 when Carlton House finished 3rd.
However, it is the one classic race that she has yet to win. The closest she has been to winning the race was in her coronation year, 1953, when Aureole finished second to Pinza.
The 2017 Derby was won by 40/1 outsider Wings of Eagles, ridden by jockey Padraig Beggy and trained by Aidan O’Brien.
The 31-year-old jockey has recently returned to the sport of horse racing after serving a year long drug related ban.
Speaking after the race to the BBC, he said: “It’s brilliant, I can’t describe it.
“I got into a bit of trouble in Australia and made a mistake. It is something that I’ve got to put behind me. I was knocked down then and had to pick myself up and come back fighting, and today I think I’ve proved that.”
I would like to tour Her Majesty’s closet !!
How does she do it, she is marvelous. Cannot be easy, help or not.
Greer