Little question the 1954 inaugural Queen Elizabeth Stakes, received by outsider Blue Ocean, at Randwick was a extra comfy event for her majesty.
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Blue Ocean was educated by Harry Darwon – a Kensington character when the racing suburb had extra characters than Runyon’s Broadway – who answered to “Aitch”. When invited to go to the official presentation, Aitch was greatly surprised.
“So out I goes to fulfill all of the dignitaries,” he associated. “They’re all standing in a circle. For a second, the thought flashed via my thoughts, ‘It appears to be like like a two-up sport’.”
Aitch had progressed Blue Ocean from a rustic picnic horse who sired polo ponies as a sideline to victory over top-liners Carioca, Hydrogen and Advocate on the day.
Sure, he began at 66/1, however Aitch gave him an opportunity to the diploma he practised bowing for per week. Thus, when he was offered to her majesty, he appeared elegant and gracious. Sir Walter Raleigh wasn’t in the identical class.
Nevertheless, when within the grove, he bowed to the Duke Of Edinburgh, jockey Arthur Podmore and even the person with the dustbin who follows the horses. He appeared to set a report for holding her hand. “No,” Aitch instructed me. “I used to be trembling a lot The Queen held my hand to regular me.”
Once more, arms performed a job in 1960 when the Queen shared the entrance web page of the Solar-Herald. “Queen Waits Calmly” was the headline relating to the pending arrival of her third youngster, whereas “Huge Crowd Runs Wild”, written by Invoice Whittaker, referred to the 50,346 – together with this author – who packed into Harold Park for the Interdominion, received by Caduceus. Sardines had been comfy by comparability.
The hand? Nicely, a punter punched a gap in a fibro wall to see the race and others adopted swimsuit, tearing fibro from picket framework behind one of many stands. “She’s fantastic,” Prince Phillip stated competing for house. “Very match certainly”.
