Horse named after late Queen finally wins 1st race over jumps – after being sent a good luck message by Camilla
A HORSE named after Queen Elizabeth II has finally won his first race – after being sent a good luck message by Queen Camilla.
Thoroughbred racehorse Thank You Ma’am finished in first place in a hurdles event at Ascot on December 21, scooping an £8,600 top prize.
And delighted owner Rupert Adams, 50, is crediting Camilla with the win after she responded to a request for some royal luck from his son Harry.
The schoolboy, nine, wrote to the Queen wishing her well after she became ill with pneumonia in November.
He cheekily asked if she’d send some good luck their way for the Novices’ Handicap Hurdle race.
In her response, Camilla, 77, thanked Harry for his kind words, saying they were a “great tonic”, before penning “Good luck ‘Thank you Ma’am’” at the bottom of the letter.
Rupert, who manages The Posh Pundit Racing Club syndicate, told The Sun: “A sprinkle of royal luck from the Queen was just what we needed.
“Harry is still quite in shock about getting a reply, but he was incredibly chuffed. He’s sent her another letter to thank her for the one that arrived, saying it was extremely kind.”
Budding jockey Harry, who races a Shetland pony, decided to write to the Queen after failing to get a reply to his letter to Father Christmas about the race.
He didn’t receive the note from Clarence House until Saturday – despite it being dated December 19.
His dad Rupert, from Lambourn, Berks, said: “The poor chap sat outside for the next 10 days waiting for the postman to arrive. We finally gave up on a reply on about the 28th.
“And then it arrived on Saturday – so we had no idea that we’d actually got the royal seal of approval.”
The syndicate owner insisted most of the credit should go to jockey Olive Nicholls, 19, daughter of multiple champion National Hunt trainer Paul Nicholls OBE, and her mum and trainer Georgie Nicholls, for their hard work.
He added: “They should take most of the credit, along with the horse.
“But a little Je ne sais quoi from the Queen didn’t go amiss that was for sure. It was really cool.”