Horse racing really is the sport of kings – after King Charles landed three winners on the same day. The King and Queen enjoyed a sensational 24 hours on the track after their steeds stormed to a hat-trick of victories at York and Newbury.
New race ace Portcullis – son of superstar stallion Frankel who was unbeaten in all of his 14 races – won the Darley EBF ‘Confined’ Novice Stakes at York. Warrant Holder powered home in the Support Macmillan Charity Raceday Handicap at the same track.
Point Of Law then romped home in the Coolmore City Of Troy EBF Maiden Stakes at Newbury.
It was the first time Charles and Camilla have ever achieved a hat-trick of wins on the same day. The trio of horses – schooled by father-and-son trainers John and Thady Gosden – could look forward to feasting on a right Royal nosebag after winning £60,000 in prize money.
The astonishing success is sure to reinforce the Royal couple’s love of racing. The Daily Star reported last month how Charles has taken up the reins as the `Racing Royal’ from his mum after watching a horse he inherited from her romp to a shock victory against all odds.
The monarch was not thought to share his late mother Queen Elizabeth II’s passion. In a Royal Ascot programme green Charlie famously seemed more interested in the course’s environmental initiatives than the racing once saying he was pleased at its efforts to go ‘net carbon zero’ and ‘minimise waste’.
But his focus switched after he saw his horse Desert Hero race to victory in The King George V Stakes at the 2023 Royal meeting as an 18-1 outsider. Charles screamed in triumph then wept as the then-three-year-old colt – one of the last bred by his mum before her death the year before – sent the 60,000 crowd into raptures.
The royals pocketed a £40,630 prize and patriotic punters who backed the horse cleaned the bookies out of £1million. Charles III – once himself an amateur jockey – has been gripped ever since.
He and Camilla have become patrons of The Jockey Club. Now they have matched the late Queen’s three-wins-in-a-day feat of 2021 when Reach For The Moon, Intelligentsia and Portfolio all triumphed at Newbury and Newmarket.
Royal racing manager John Warren said he has been surprised about how hooked the King and Queen have become. They are following their horses’ every hoof-print to glory – just as Daily Star readers have been gripped by the progress of our horse Wendigo which ran at Cheltenham and Aintree.
John said: “I’m so thrilled for the King and Queen because they’re getting so much pleasure out of their horses. I never thought they would get as much pleasure as they are. I always thought the Queen might but I didn’t know the King was going to be as he is so caught up with so many other things.
“But they get so much pleasure out of their horses which is so nice because they give so much. And to get a few little pleasures it is really nice to see it happen. It’s exciting going forward.”
Three-year-old Portcullis has now won both his races, with Warren adding: “He is really exciting and looks like he has got some nice aspirations ahead. If I’m being really honest I’m excited.”
But the success could put the royals on a collision course with the Government. Racing chiefs say plans to credit reference check betters will drive 44,000 to the organised crime-run gambling black market costing the sport £250m in five years and putting horse welfare at risk.
A total of 19 MPs whose turf includes racecourses have written to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy demanding a re-think as the sport relies on bookies for part of its income. British Horseracing Association director of communications and Corporate Affairs Greg Swift said: “The damaging blow to racing’s finances will lead to job closures in their areas as well as devastate a much-loved sport that is the beating heart of their communities.”