The King and Queen will have their first runner in a British Classic after Desert Hero booked his place in the St Leger at Doncaster on September 16 with victory in the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
King Charles and Queen Camilla were said to be ‘thrilled to bits’ after the Tom Marquand-ridden colt shrugged off a far-from-smooth run to beat Chesspiece a neck.
Betfair reacted by slashing Desert Hero’s St Leger odds from 16-1 to 6-1 third favourite.
Desert Hero had already made his mark after he became the first Royal Ascot winner for the King and Queen with victory in the King George V Stakes in June.
Thursday’s performance from the 7-1 shot trained in Newmarket by William Haggas came as he stepped up in grade.
Desert Hero (L) and jockey Tom Marquand stormed to victory at the John Pearce Racing Gordon Stakes at Goodwood
The William Haggas-trained three-year-old has emerged as a genuine Classic prospect for King Charles and the Queen
Desert Hero now has a chance to be the first royal-owned winner of a British Classic since Dunfermline won the St Leger for the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, her Silver Jubilee year.
Royal racing advisor John Warren said: ‘The King and Queen watched the race and they are thrilled to bits. For them to so engaged is wonderful for racing.
‘None of us know whether Desert Hero will stay a mile and three-quarters (of the St Leger) but the horse is so committed and brave there is no downside to giving it a go. When you have horses which try things can happen.
‘It is incredible in the King’s first year as a proper owner, along with the massive support of the Queen, that the two of them can enjoy a horse of this calibre.’
Such was the passion of the late Queen Elizabeth for racing that some questioned whether the new monarch would be as engaged with the sport.
But Warren, who revealed the King and Queen had recently inspected the royal broodmares and foals at the Royal Stud at Sandringham, added: ‘The King told me many years ago that he was always going to be committed to take on the bloodstock portfolio and true to his word he has been fascinated by it now it is on his watch.
Desert Hero was praised, after the race, for being ‘committed and brave’ at Goodwood
Desert Hero was able to finish just ahead of James Doyle and Chesspiece (middle)
‘The story is wonderful for racing because the Queen is so fascinated as well. They looked at the stock 10 days ago. They really are getting their heads around the young stock which is coming on.’
The poignant footnote to Desert Hero’s St Leger challenge is that Queen Elizabeth II died during the Doncaster meeting last year which prompted the St Leger to be postponed for 24 hours.
The two horses in front of Desert Hero in the St Leger betting are Royal Ascot winner Gregory (5-2), the likely mount of Frankie Dettori, and Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance (9-2).
Meanwhile, Roger Varian-trained Al Husn (9-1) won yesterday’s Group One Qatar Nassau Stakes ridden by Jim Crowley. French jockey Aurelien Lemaitre, riding at Goodwood for the first time, had a nightmare ride on odds-on favourite Blue Rose Cen, finishing fourth after failing to secure a clear run up the inside rail.
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