King Charles and Queen Camilla made a surprise appearance at Epsom Downs Racecourse today to watch a horse bred by Queen Elizabeth II in a £500,000 race.
The monarch and his wife prepared to cheer on Treasure in the Betfred Oaks at 4.30pm, rated eighth favourite by bookmakers at odds between 18/1 and 26/1.
They attended Epsom’s Ladies Day as fellow racegoers looked forward to seeing a royal runner bid for Classic glory after Treasure was declared for the Group 1 Oaks.
The prize money for today’s race totals £541,035 for the top six positions out of the 12 runners. A first prize of £311,905 will go to the winner – then £118,250 for second, £59,180 for third, £29,480 for fourth, £14,795 for fifth and £7,425 for sixth.
The owner normally receives about 75 per cent of a race’s prize money, while the remaining 25 per cent is generally split between the trainer (10 per cent), the jockey (10 per cent) and then the final 5 per cent to stable staff and racing charities.
Also today, Charles and Camilla presented a trophy after the 3.10pm Holland Cooper Coronation Cup, a race they watched from the stands which was won by 9-4 chance Luxembourg ridden by Ryan Moore, with 7-4 shot Emily Upjohn finishing fourth.
Treasure was bred by Elizabeth II and is a daughter of stallion Masterscraftsman and Shimmering Light, which was placed for the late monarch in two races in 2017.
Trainer Ralph Beckett said they ‘decided to have a go at the Oaks as the ground should be in her favour’, adding that he had been ‘very pleased with her progress’.
The handler also described Charles, 75, and Camilla, 76, as ‘such enthusiastic owners and it is great to be training such a nice filly for them who is running in a Classic’.
The race set off after a rendition of the national anthem, which was sang as the King and Queen watched on.
The King’s horse Treasure started off strong, settling in third position and standing out from the all brown pack in grey.
But he struggled to keep up with a strong pack and finished in eleventh place.
Elizabeth II landed five Classics in all, with Carrrozza her first Epsom Oaks heroine in 1957 before Dunfermline in 1977.
Dunfermline was the last to carry the royal colours to victory in a British Classic.
The horse won not only the Epsom Oaks but also the St Leger at Doncaster in what was Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee year.
Charles and Camilla enjoyed a memorable first Flat season last year, with Desert Hero winning at Royal Ascot before finishing third in the St Leger.
Treasure won on her racecourse debut at Nottingham in October last year before finishing fourth behind stablemate You Got To Me in the Lingfield Oaks Trial on her reappearance three weeks ago.