The sport of kings no longer walks hand in hand with the British aristocracy

The end of Lord Hesketh’s bizarre reign at Towcester takes racing another step further away from its historical association with the landed aristocracy.

During the 19th century, involvement with horses was de rigueur for the nobility. Lords bred them, owned them, hunted on them and rode them on the racecourse and into battle. As members of the Jockey Club, the aristocracy ruled the sport.

Democracy, the growing wealth of the middle classes, death duties and two world wars made dominance more difficult. The number of domestic servants dropped precipitously while the number of Labour MPs rose alarmingly.