The Queen’s 94th birthday – her three finest moments in racing

1 Aureole 

Winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is special for anyone but it means even more when the race is named after your own parents.

There was no mistaking the joyous enthusiasm with which the Queen greeted Aureole after his battling victory under Eph Smith at Ascot in 1954.

Her colt had finished second in the Derby in Coronation year and this career-best effort, together with his earlier wins in the Coronation Cup and Hardwicke Stakes, ensured the Queen won a first owners’ championship at the end of the season.

2 Dunfermline

The Queen’s Silver Jubilee year of 1977 was marked by nationwide rejoicing and Dunfermline caught the mood by giving Her Majesty a double classic success.

She put up a fine effort to defeat the subsequent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Alleged at Doncaster in September and give her owner her first St Leger triumph.

But arguably more exciting was the filly’s victory in the Oaks at the height of Jubilee fever in the summer, coming from well off the pace at Epsom to score a royal win under Willie Carson and spark huge celebrations.

3 Estimate 

When you ascend to the throne in a monarchy with more than a thousand years of history, it is hard to do something that none of your predecessors achieved.

But the Queen did just that on June 20, 2013, when Estimate got the best of a thrilling finish to land the Gold Cup, the showpiece event at Royal Ascot and a race that no British King or Queen had ever won previously.

Film of her excitedly watching the finish in the royal box, accompanied by Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, was seen worldwide.

And the Queen later told trainer Sir Michael Stoute that this was the race she had wanted to win above any other.