ASCOT, England — A beaming Queen Elizabeth II received the Gold Cup trophy Thursday after becoming the first reigning British monarch in history with a winning horse in Royal Ascot’s biggest race.
The 87-year-old queen clapped and smiled broadly in the stands as Estimate, the 7-2 favorite, crossed the line to become the first filly to win the Gold Cup since Indian Queen in 1991.
The queen, who has been on the throne for 61 years, has attended Ascot every year since 1945. Thursday’s win was her 22nd overall at Ascot, but the first in the signature Gold Cup.
“It’s a great honor to win for Her Majesty the Queen,” said Estimate’s trainer, Michael Stoute. “We know how much she loves this game.”
Estimate won at Ascot last year in the Queen’s Vase, one of the races in which the queen presents the trophy. She received the prize then from her husband, Prince Phillip.
With Phillip recovering from abdominal surgery, the queen received the Gold Cup trophy Thursday from one of her sons, Prince Andrew.
With jockey Ryan Moore aboard, Estimate held off a late challenge mounted by Simenon’s jockey, Johnny Murtagh, and won by a neck in the race, which is run over 2 miles and 4 furlongs.
“It’s fantastic to win for the queen at Royal Ascot,” Moore said. “We had a good draw and the pace wasn’t mad at the beginning. She (Estimate) relaxed so well over the final furlongs.”
The Associated Press
