One of the Queen's racing trainers has recalled the moment her winning celebration sparked security fears.
Amid the plethora of tributes this week, Nicky Henderson shared one of his favourite memories of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
Horse racing's biggest supporter, the Queen had many thoroughbreds in training at his Lambourn stables during her 70-year reign. The best of them, Barbers Shop, ran in the 2009 Gold Cup and placed in that year's King George VI Chase at Kempton.
Henderson, who prepared the Queen's Worcester winner on her Platinum Jubilee weekend, Steal A March, remembered fondly the time Her Majesty caused quite a stir. And it was all down to her love of the sport.
"I remember once having a winner for her and she told me she'd been watching it in the sitting room," he told the Racing Post.
"The horse led over the last, but it was a tight finish so she stood up and screamed it home. With that, she said the security guards burst open the door thinking there had been some ghastly drama, but found her shouting at the television rather than an intruder! That always tickled me."
The Queen's horses took four out of the five British Classic races, while she had 24 winners at Royal Ascot. Before Sunday's St Leger, won by royal representative Dunfermline in 1977, a two-minute silence was observed and jockeys wore black armbands during the afternoon.
Held in front of a reduced capacity crowd at Doncaster, a day later as a mark of respect, floral tributes adorned the entrance to the venue.
No runners have competed in the Queen's colours since her death – and Reach For The Moon was pulled out of his intended Listed engagement at Sandown on Wednesday. Clive Cox sent out Her Majesty's final winner Love Affairs, two days before she passed away at Balmoral, aged 96.
Reports suggest Queen Consort Camilla will take on one the former monarch's favourite hobbies.
"I spoke to her on Tuesday morning which will be a very deep and lasting memory," he told Sky Sports Racing. "It was really nice to have that winner with Love Affairs at Goodwood at a special racetrack.
"It's quite surreal really. She was just such an amazing person - I think everybody knows and agrees we all feel the sadness in losing her."
Earlier today, the Queen's hearse travelled down Edinburgh's Royal Mile ahead of a service at St Giles' Cathedral. King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward followed the procession, as residents lined the streets to pay their respects.
The state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, confirmed as a Bank Holiday in the UK.
