The Queen

A significant milestone in British history is reached on Sunday as the Queen becomes the country's first monarch to reign for 70 years. Throughout that time, Her Majesty has remained a fervent supporter of the Turf. In the first of a three-part series, John Berry looks back at the Queen's strong ties to horseracing. Racing, the king of sports, has been the sport of kings and queens since the dawn of time. In Great Britain, the monarch's love of the sport can be traced back at least 500 years to...

Nobody in our community is more eligible than Ted Bassett to say that he has seen it all before, but something will be attempted Saturday that falls outside even the long experience encompassed by his 100th birthday in just a few days' time. For a Keeneland showpiece that Mr. Bassett helped to inaugurate in 1984, as host to the lady for whom it was named, could well present one of her subjects with the opportunity to complete a unique double. First, in the backyard of Windsor Castle, William Haggas saddles...

Progressive colt Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is a likely starter in the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster on Sept. 11. The John and Thady Gosden-trained colt, who carries The Queen's silks, was a last out winner of the G3 Betway Solario S. at Sandown on Aug. 21. "Reach For The Moon is in really good form," said The Queen's Racing Manager John Warren after Reach For The Moon's stablemate Saga (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) won at Ascot on Friday. "He had a good blow yesterday...

The Queen has a serious Classic candidate for 2022 judged on the manner of the win of her homebred Reach For the Moon (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in Saturday's G3 Betway Solario S. at Sandown. Runner-up to TDN Rising Star Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in the Listed Chesham S. over this seven-furlong trip June 19, the bay had since beaten the subsequent York nursery winner Harrow (Ire) (El Kabeir) by four lengths in a Newbury novice July 16 and it was all about him as he started as...

It has been quite the week for two young stallions from Tally-Ho Stud. We barely stopped hearing about Mehmas (Ire) last season during his record-breaking assault on the freshman sires' championship, and the big question is always how a stallion will follow up on that early promise. It can be a long way to fall after a reputation is so swiftly created, but in the case of the 7-year-old son of Acclamation (GB) it looks very much as if he is consolidating his position as a stallion to follow with...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a blueblooded homebred for The Queen. 15.30 Sandown, Nov, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT The Queen's DUKEDOM (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a son of MG1SP G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches runner-up Nathra (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and debuts for Team John and Thady Gosden in a contest noted for...

On each day of Royal Ascot, there was at least one result truly to savour, if not more. Moreover, the meeting in its entirety felt at last like a return to some sort of normality. Even the British weather played its typically quirky part: boiling one day, rain of biblical proportions the next. One regrettable absence was the buzz of the crowd. The maximum number of 12,000 attendees per day is of course low by usual standards. With the late announcement that even this number would be permitted, not to...

The death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of The Queen, on Friday at age 99 will be marked across British racecourses on Saturday. Two minutes of silence was observed at Aintree on Friday, with jockeys wearing black armbands and flags flying at half-mast, and those measures will be repeated again during Saturday's Grand National meeting at the course. Similar tributes will be held at the fixtures at Chepstow, Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Newcastle. Though never a racehorse owner himself, the Duke of Edinburgh had been an...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's observations features a half-sister to Group 2 winner Buratino. 1.00 Lingfield, Nov, £9,600, 2yo, f, 8f 1y (AWT) The Queen's hitherto unraced VITAL FORCE (IRE) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), one of two contenders from the John Gosden stable, is a half-sister to G2 Coventry S. winner and MG1SP sire...

Zhang Yuesheng's Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) exited his emphatic victory in Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. in good order, and trainer Jessica Harrington said she is deciding between two potential next targets. "I'm very happy with how he's come out of the race--he couldn't be better," Harrington said of the colt, who was cut to 16-1 for next year's G1 2000 Guineas following his 3 1/2-length win. "There's the [G1] Middle Park at Newmarket [on Sept. 26] and the National S. at The Curragh [on Sept. 13]--we...

Thursday's G2 Tattersalls July S. took place against a backdrop of unseasonably wet weather on Newmarket's July Course, but The Queen's Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) shone through with a touch of class to add to his Listed Windsor Castle S. success. Having beaten Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) by 1 1/4 lengths in that five-furlong Ascot speed test June 17, the 5-2 second favourite was able to confirm that form by the exact same margin as the duo pulled 2 3/4 lengths clear of Escape Route (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}). Held...

A gamble was landed in the Listed Windor Castle S. as Tactical (GB) (Toronado {Ire}) brought up a 24th Royal Ascot winner for The Queen. Third on debut over this five-furlong trip at Newmarket June 4, the heavily-supported 7-2 favourite tracked the early pace stands' side and after reeling in Muker (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the last half a furlong asserted to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Yazaman (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who denied Muker in a photo. Trainer Andrew Balding, whose stable is in a rich vein of form,...