'I'll cherish the chats I had with her' - Lambourn reacts to the Queen's death

The last person to train a winner for the Queen was Clive Cox, who cut a solemn figure at his Lambourn yard on Friday morning.

Cox, busy harrowing his gallop before 6am in preparation for first lot, was responsible for Love Affairs, a homebred of the Queen's who won a nursery at Goodwood on Tuesday under Adam Kirby.

"I've had horses for the Queen for the last couple of years and I was overwhelmed when her racing manager John Warren came and saw me about it," the trainer said.

Love Affairs: a final winner for the Queen at Goodwood on TuesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

"He asked if we could have a few horses for Her Majesty and it was such and honour and privilege, and it lifted the whole mood of the yard. Personally and professionally, I had so much admiration for the Queen and her love of horses. It was enormous not only to train for her, but to speak to her personally and understand that passion she had for horses.

"She was exactly how people think she'd be and was such a wonderful person to talk to – she cared about everything you spoke about, especially the horses.

"We're extremely saddened and she's a huge loss. I spoke to her on Tuesday morning before the race and she sounded as sharp as ever and was so interested in the horses. She knew them and their pedigrees inside out. I'll cherish those chats and never forget them."

Cox, a former jump jockey, added: "It was a huge surprise when I was asked to train for her, but it's been the most special experience. She was amazing. I was at the sales on Tuesday morning and she had an extremely busy day [meeting new prime minister Liz Truss] but she actually phoned me back. She was really interested in the plan for that horse and others generally. She was very special.

"She presented the trophy when Lethal Force won the Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot, but training for her was something I never imagined in my wildest dreams. Her passion for horses was so real and she was in tune with racing and breeding, and a horsewoman through and through. Her connection with horses is something everyone in racing recognises and to share that with her was wonderful."

Former trainer Martin Bosley, who now works for Cox, was at Southwell overseeing the yard's runners on Thursday when news of the Queen's death broke and racing was abandoned.

He said: "I was stood by the weighing room and there was an announcement over the loudspeaker that the Queen had died. There was an image on the big screen and then total hush. It was quite eerie, but there were no complaints. Everyone filed away very quietly and it was very sombre. It was a bit surreal, quite odd. They said the bars might stay open for a bit, but people didn't hang around – they were genuinely upset and drifted off pretty quickly."

Bosley, who wound down his training operation in the spring, added: "For most of us, she's the only monarch we've known and she's been massive for horseracing as had the Queen Mother before. She'd been such a leader and you could see the warmth people had for her during Royal Ascot when they would rush to the rails to watch the royal procession."

Jamie Snowden: rode winners for the QueenCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Cox's Lambourn counterpart Jamie Snowden rode three winners from just five rides for the late monarch as an amateur.

"I was very lucky," he said. "It's a sad day. I think I first met her when I was at Sandhurst in 2001 and then had the connection of riding First Love and going to the Grand Military reception at Windsor Castle, which was always very special.

"I remember being at Windsor Castle once and she said Barbers Shop, who Nicky [Henderson] trained would need some headgear. I never mentioned anything to the boss, but three or so runs later he was in some headgear. She had that knowledge."

Snowden, who trained useful hurdler Pacify for King Charles III and the Queen Consort added: "One of my corporals, Jordan Wylie, set up a syndicate to win the Grand Military Gold Cup and Princess Anne was in it. We got an invite from the Queen for a reception at Windsor Castle and Jordan – an amazing, charismatic guy who has built schools off the coast of Africa – froze.

"He thought he couldn't go and drink the Queen's champagne, but we bundled him into the car and the Queen heard about his charity work and spoke to him for about 15 minutes, putting him at complete ease.

"I was proud and honoured to have those winners for her and everyone on the gallops is talking about it this morning. There's a real sense of sadness, but also pride for what she's done for racing."

Flat trainer Jonathan Portman was another trainer on the gallops on Friday morning and, after working two lots, said: "I had a little word in the tack room first thing because the wonderful thing about the Queen was she touched people in all walks of life.

"I never met her and it's one thing I regret. I always thought I might get to meet her somehow and it never happened. I'd loved to have met her and think she would have liked me!"

Jonathan Portman: 'She improved the relevance of racing and how lucky were we that she was part of it'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Striking a more serious tone, Portman went on: "Her effect on racing has been immeasurable. There are so many people – especially internationally – who wanted to be involved in British racing just so they could do what the Queen was doing.

"She improved the relevance of racing and how lucky were we that she was part of it. She gave racing a relevance it would not have had if she wasn't interested. She adored horses – you just had to look at her face when she was with them.

"I'll never forget one morning in Lambourn seeing this Range Rover haring up the side of Fisher's Hill. Hughesie [Richard Hughes] was driving it and I thought, 'Steady on,' but there was the Queen in the passenger seat watching her horses and grinning from ear to ear. She was loving it."

Pat Kennedy, who helps travel Portman's horses, first met the Queen when he worked for Ian Balding and was also introduced to her during his time with Richard Hannon snr.

"I was working for Hughesie when, one day, she drove into the yard with her driver and bodyguard," he recalled. "She had a horse called Patchwork and I used to ride and look after him.

"She was a lovely woman who knew all the breeding. She was very pleasant to talk to and asked what I thought about the horse. I said, 'I can either give you the truth or the exaggerated truth'.

"She asked what the exaggerated truth was so I told her he was a Group 1 winner! Then she asked for the actual truth and I said he'd be a solid handicapper and she was smiling away, having a little giggle to herself.

"Hughesie had popped out of the box and asked what I said to her – he said he'd never seen her come out laughing like that!"