The Queen: the leading horsemen by her side throughout a life of racing

Major Dick Hern

The master of West Ilsley, four times champion trainer, trained many of the Queen’s best horses during the 1970s and 1980s and supplied her with Classic success through the Oaks and St Leger winner Dunfermline, whose victories formed the perfect backdrop to the celebrations of Silver Jubilee year.

A scion of the old school, Hern was born in Somerset, gained his rank during service in North Africa and Italy, lived for the thrill of the hunt – it was a fall while out with the Quorn in 1984 that broke his neck and confined him to a wheelchair – and became a trainer relatively late in life.

For the Queen he also trained Highclere (1,000 Guineas, Prix de Diane) and her daughter Height Of Fashion (Fillies’ Mile), who had such a productive career as a broodmare – after her purchase by Hamdan Al Maktoum – through Nashwan, Unfuwain and Nayef.

Aside from his royally owned horses, Hern trained great champions including Brigadier Gerard and Dayjur, as well as Derby winners Troy, Henbit and Nashwan. He won each Classic in Britain and Ireland at least once and nearly every Group 1 in the calendar.

Hern’s 22-year tenure as the Queen’s trainer ended in controversy in 1988 when he was sacked by royal racing manager Lord Carnarvon during his recovery from heart surgery. He continued to train in Lambourn until 1997 and died in 2002.

Willie Carson

An enormously successful jockey, he was associated with many of the Queen’s big-race wins following his appointment as stable jockey to Dick Hern in 1977 – in his first year in the royal racing colours he won the Oaks and St Leger aboard Dunfermline.

“I am a true royalist,” he once said. “The Oaks was the best. It was one of the highlights of my career. The Queen won a British Classic in the week of her Silver Jubilee and there was me, wee Willie from a working-class, non-racing background, sitting on the horse. I felt blessed.”

There have been many peaks for the chirpy Scot, with four Derbys and 13 other British Classics, five jockeys’ titles, more than 3,800 winners and six wins on one card at Newcastle in 1990. A fall from Silken Knot at York in 1981 left him close to death – he was given the last rites – and the Queen, concerned at her retained jockey’s condition, put her personal neurologist to work. Two years later, Carson was champion again.

After his retirement Carson worked as a presenter on the BBC’s coverage of racing, and breeds thoroughbreds at his Minster Stud in Gloucestershire. He is the only jockey ever to have bred a British Classic winner that he also rode – St Leger winner Minster Son.

‘Stoker’ Hartington, 12th Duke of Devonshire

His tenure as Her Majesty’s Representative at Ascot lasted 14 years, during which time the Queen’s racecourse underwent complete reconstruction, an initially unpopular development but one that has transformed the Berkshire course into one of the world’s finest.

The Duke was also senior steward of the Jockey Club and was instrumental in the most significant single act in British racing administration in living memory with the creation of the British Horseracing Board (BHB) – which evolved into the BHA – to take over the governance of the sport from the Jockey Club in 1993. He was appointed its first chairman. His role at Ascot required him to be a link between the Queen and the racing world, something he remembered very fondly.

“Her Majesty is the most wonderful person to work for,” he said. “She’s in a way very undemanding, but she does ask a lot of questions. She has such an eye for detail. I remember her suggesting, one year, on the Tuesday of the royal meeting, that the bushes on the heath were too high and that people standing on the lawns probably couldn’t see the runners going round Swinley Bottom. That was dealt with overnight.

“She could see fine from the royal box but was concerned about other racegoers. She realises how much people love Ascot and her enthusiasm rubs off on everybody.”

Sir Michael Stoute

The long-established Newmarket incumbent took over as the Queen’s main trainer from Lord Huntingdon, who had in turn taken over from Dick Hern, and provided her with no little success over the course of more than a decade and a half, capped by the glorious victory of Estimate in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot in 2013. It was the Queen’s first European Group 1 win since Dunfermline 36 years before.

“It’s a special thrill, especially as it would have given the Queen enormous pleasure,” he said at the time. “She really loves this game and it’s a great recreation for her. She said it was a very big thrill and thanked everybody involved.

“This is really high up there because it’s the Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot for a lady who is a great supporter of racing and is so good for British racing.”

Sir Michael Stoute: trainer of 2013 Gold Cup winner EstimateCredit: Edward Whitaker

Stoute – whose roll of honour includes ten trainers’ titles, six Derbys, ten other British Classics and numerous great races worldwide, plus the Champion Hurdle – also trained Dartmouth to win the Hardwicke Stakes at the royal meeting for the Queen, with other big-race winners including Carlton House (Dante, third in Derby) and Blueprint (Jockey Club Stakes). Estimate also won the Queen’s Vase and the Doncaster Cup. He was knighted for services to sports tourism in Barbados.

John Warren

The Queen’s most recent bloodstock and racing adviser, who took on the position following the death of his father-in-law Lord Carnarvon. Warren – a former stable lad and now owner of Highclere Stud – was the first to combine the two roles of ‘bloodstock’ and ‘racing’, and was at the Queen’s elbow, in the royal box, when Estimate won the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Television cameras memorably captured the excitement of owner and manager.

“It was a unique day,” he said. “For the Queen to be able to shout the moment home was wonderful. After the filly had won it was sheer joy. She was beaming and happy. She doesn’t get many opportunities to let her hair down because her commitments are so continuous.

“I didn’t realise there was a camera on the royal box, but if you can’t get excited about events like that you might as well stay at home and do the knitting. The Queen was deeply moved. She had a tear in her eye. It was wonderful.

“She has owned horses for more than 60 years so has been through every hoop. She is the best loser you could ever imagine and a realist as well. She is also more analytical about the reasons why a horse might not have run up to expectations. Her fascination is in putting the jigsaw together.”

Henry Herbert, Lord Porchester, 7th Earl of Carnarvon

A great personal friend of the Queen long before he assumed the role of her racing manager – he joined the royal princesses outside Buckingham Palace for the VE Day celebrations – the occasionally controversial ‘Porchy’ arguably had more influence over the Queen’s racing life than any other individual.

“They had a very equal friendship ranging over many interests,” his son George, the 8th earl, told the Daily Telegraph. “They were from the same generation. They had been through the war. They shared a great love of the countryside and wildlife as well as horses. Whether they were walking at Sandringham, Highclere or in Scotland, it was always a great obsession.

“My father had a photographic memory for bloodlines. He and the Queen had a similar passion for every aspect and detail of breeding. They often had quite lively discussions about which stallion a mare should go to, or which race. It was a key part of their week.”

Later, he revived the fortunes of Highclere Stud and bred and owned several high-class runners, including the flying two-year-old filly Lyric Fantasy (Nunthorpe Stakes), Little Wolf (Gold Cup), Niche (Falmouth Stakes, 1,000 Guineas runner-up), Lemon Souffle (Moyglare Stud Stakes) and Roseate Tern (Yorkshire Oaks). His advice to sell Height Of Fashion as a broodmare brought in the capital that enabled the Queen to purchase West Ilsley.

He died in 2001.

Sir Cecil Boyd-Rochfort

The Queen’s first trainer – he trained some of the royal string for her father George VI – came closest of all to bringing the monarch that elusive Derby winner.

In 1953, he saddled the highly strung Aureole to finish runner-up in the Derby behind Pinza; the colt’s exploits the following year, when he won the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Coronation Cup, were largely responsible for making the Queen that year’s leading owner.

Henry Cecil’s stepfather, who was awarded the Croix de Guerre for his service in the Great War, was five times champion trainer and provided the Queen with her second taste of Classic glory – Noel Murless trained Carrozza to win her the Oaks in 1957 – through Pall Mall, winner of the 1958 2,000 Guineas. His other major winners in the royal colours included Canisbay (Eclipse Stakes).

Boyd-Rochfort’s greatest talent was in the training of stayers – he won the Derby just once (Parthia) but recorded six victories in the St Leger and two in the Gold Cup. His standard of hospitality was also renowned beyond the walls of Freemason Lodge.

Cecil once recalled: “On one occasion when the Queen was visiting, my mother ordered an ice-cream dessert she called a ‘Mars Bar surprise’. The staff hadn’t quite got the point – the Mars bars were piled up on the ice cream still in their wrappers.” He retired in 1968 and died in 1983.

Sir Michael Oswald

The long-serving racing manager for the Queen Mother was at the same time the manager and then director of the Royal Studs between 1970 and 1998, and after the death of the Queen Mother became responsible for managing the Queen’s jumping string until his own death last year.

As the Queen Mother’s racing manager he oversaw several decades of great success for the famous light blue and buff colours, with Special Cargo’s remarkable victory in the 1984 Whitbread Gold Cup possibly at the head of the list. Cheltenham Gold Cup third Game Spirit was another standard-bearer, as were Inch Arran (Topham Trophy), Insular and The Argonaut. When the Queen Mother died in 2002, the Queen took on her horses and Oswald presided over the likes of Barbers Shop and Close Touch.

“The Queen is incredibly knowledgeable,” said Oswald. “I have to be very thorough before going to the sales because she’s likely to ask about a particular lot, and you suddenly find that way back in the pedigree there’s a horse she had something to do with. She has a tremendous knowledge of pedigrees, and not only of her own horses.”

The Royal Studs – which once comprised property at Hampton Court, Sandringham, Wolferton and Polhampton, but are now confined to Sandringham and Polhampton – have stood many significant stallions over the years.

King George VI

Her father was naturally one of the most important influences on the Queen’s racing life for it was he who first encouraged her interest in the sport. The King had enjoyed notable success with his own horses leased from the National Stud – he owned fillies’ Triple Crown winner Sun Chariot, 2,000 Guineas winner Big Game and 1,000 Guineas heroine Hypericum – and this helped foster the Queen’s love affair with racing.

The King was not a devoted racing man in the mould of his father and grandfather, but he saw that the continuation of royal interest in the sport would be good for public morale and would maintain time-honoured tradition. In instilling an enduring affection for racing in the Queen, he did the sport an incalculable service.

A visit to Fred Darling’s Beckhampton yard in 1942 reputedly provided the spark that led to the Queen’s lifetime passion. She was permitted to pat the neck of Newmarket conqueror Big Game, and although it may be apocryphal the story goes that the Queen did not wash that hand until the following morning.

Her favourite of her father’s horses was Rising Light, who won at Royal Ascot and finished fifth in the Derby, and about whom she compiled a scrapbook of newspaper cuttings. On the King’s death in 1952 his bloodstock interests were transferred to his eldest daughter.

Joe Mercer

The renowned stylist of the weighing room, whose name will forever be linked with the magnificent Brigadier Gerard, rode for the Queen until the mid-1970s in his role as first jockey to Dick Hern.

His finest hours in the royal colours came aboard the homebred Highclere, on whom he won the 1,000 Guineas in 1974 before adding the Prix de Diane to the roll of honour. After the flight home from Chantilly, Mercer and Hern were met by a limousine to take them to Windsor Castle for dinner. As their car drew up to the door, the Queen was waiting to meet them.

She greeted them with “Come in, my warriors” and led them indoors to celebrate with the Duke of Edinburgh, Princess Margaret and Lord Mountbatten. As they went into dinner, the guests were greeted by the sight of the gold Prix de Diane trophy in the centre of the table.

It was just one of many highlights for Mercer during a long career, although the Derby proved elusive. He won the Oaks on Ambiguity while still an apprentice and was associated with brilliant miler Kris, champion stayer Le Moss, and St Leger winner Bustino, who with Grundy fought out the ‘Race of the Century’ in the 1975 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. Mercer was champion jockey in 1979.

Mercer was champion jockey in 1979, retired in 1985 and died last year.