Royal boost for jump racing 16/03/2009 |
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Jump racing received the perfect publicity coup on Friday when Queen Elizabeth flew into Cheltenham to cheer on her horse in the Gold Cup.
For a sport that battles hard to wrestle the headlines from soccer, the appearance of the talented chaser Barbers Shop and the horse's royal owner was a dream ticket.
"Anything with the royal family that is connected with racing is a great boost," said Paul Barber, part owner of 2008 winner Denman who lost his crown on Friday to stable mate Kauto Star, champion in 2007.
Barbers Shop provoked a hopeful roar from the packed stands when challenging on the downhill turn for home but it was not to be for the 10-1 chance who faded over the last two fences to finish seventh of 16, beaten about 30 lengths.
Queen Elizabeth is a much bigger fan of flat racing, having won five classics and narrowly missed out with Aureole, second in the Epsom Derby in 1953, her coronation year.
Her late mother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who bequeathed her Barbers Shop, was a passionate follower of jump racing and loved Cheltenham.
She also owned Devon Loch who came heart-breakingly close to winning the 1956 Aintree Grand National when inexplicably belly-flopping yards from the winning post.
Clerk of the course Nick Cheyne, overjoyed at the Queen's first visit in six years, said: "What a way to end Cheltenham week."
Confident of front-page coverage in the newspapers, Jockey Club steward Andrew Merriam said: "Tony McCoy's feat in riding 3,000 (jump) winners was pushed off the news pages by (Luiz Felipe) Scolari's sacking by Chelsea (last month) but this will not be so easy to ignore."
(Source: Reuters)
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