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King Charles and Queen Camilla endured a disappointing start to Royal Ascot as they hit with a big failure.
The British Monarch and the Queen consort of Britain hopes of an opening-day Royal Ascot victory were dashed as their horse, Reaching High, finished out of contention in the Ascot Stakes, which was won by 25-1 outsider Kizlyar.
Large crowds gathered at the prestigious Berkshire racecourse to watch the day's events.
Notably, the King, who has attended Royal Ascot every year since he assumed the throne, encouraged racegoers to enjoy a “thrilling” week of action ahead.
Writing the foreword to the official race-day programme, the King and Queen said: “We wish you a very warm welcome to Royal Ascot, which promises to deliver another spectacular week of racing.”
They added, “Some of the best horses from Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia are expected to run this week and they will be watched by viewers in close to 200 countries.”
Charles and Camilla also acknowledged, “As owner breeders ourselves, we know how hard it is to win races at Royal Ascot and wish our fellow breeders, both at home and abroad, the best of luck in this most fascinating of challenges.”
To note, the royal couple secured their maiden Ascot triumph in 2023 when Desert Hero triumphed in the King George V Stakes.
