The Queen’s horse, Reach For The Moon, finished a close second in one of the most prestigious races in the two-year-old calendar on Saturday at Doncaster racecourse.
The homebred two-year-old colt was beaten in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes by just a head.
In a thrilling three-way finish, rival Bayside Boy just managed to get the better of Her Majesty’s horse, with Twilight Jet finishing in 3rd.
Prior to the race, jockey Frankie Dettori joked: “If I get beaten, straight to the tower.”
Although it is still early days, there has a sense of excitement within racing circles that Reach For The Moon could be an ideal horse for the 2022 Epsom Derby.
Earlier this year, Buckingham Palace announced that next year’s Derby will form an integral part of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations marking the monarch’s 70th year on the throne.
In June, The Queen will be joined by The Royal Family at Epsom to watch the special Platinum Jubilee Derby.
Although he didn’t win on Saturday, there is still a good chance that Her Majesty will not only be watching the race as a spectator, but as an owner.
The Derby is the one major race that The Queen has not managed to win, and be in no doubt, it is the race she would most like to win.
In her long and illustrious racing career, The Queen’s horses have finished second, third and fifth in the race, with the top prize just eluding her.
Will 2022 be the year The Queen finally wins the Derby? It is certainly a long-shot, but for now, the dream stays alive.
