The Queen is well-known as a fan of horseracing, but she was so impressed with one colt at Royal Ascot that she decided to break with protocol.
Normally Her Majesty only presents a trophy to the winner of the competition's main event, the Gold Cup. But when Australian raider Choisir won the Golden Jubilee Stakes, having already taken the King's Stand Stakes a few days earlier, the Queen decided she would present the prize herself.
"To win one race is good but to win two races at Ascot is unbelievable," she told the champion's Australian owners. The four year-old's double victory brought this year's Royal Ascot, which has enjoyed record attendance figures, to a fittingly salubrious close.
This 2003 event will go done as one of the most exciting in its history, both in terms of fashion and the quality of racing. Organizers' hopes that it will become one of the world's most important horse racing events have been boosted by this year's success. And with a £180m re-development plan already underway, we can expect the meet to become even more impressive in years to come.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
