Brough Scott recalls Queen Elizabeth II discussed horses with trainer two days before her death
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Published 19/09/2022 at 12:01 GMT
Broadcaster and former jockey Brough Scott has revealed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II discussed horse racing just two days before her passing, which showed her love for the sport. Horse racing was a major passion for the Queen throughout her life since she first rode a horse at six years old, through to her last conversation about it 90 years later.
Sport pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth II
Former jockey Brough Scott has revealed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II talked about horse racing just two days before her death, on the same day she met new Prime Minster Liz Truss.
The Queen was passionate about horses from an early age, and Scott says she spoke to Clive Cox, who trained the final winner for her, 48 hours prior to her passing.
“The last Tuesday of her life, two days before she died, when Boris Johnson and Mrs Johnson were coming up, they were followed by Liz Truss and Mr Truss, it was quite a thing to have in your head,” Scott told Eurosport.
“Her trainer, Clive Cox, rang her up, he always had to ring up in the mornings. He was told, ‘She is a bit busy at the moment’.
“He got a call back an hour later which said, ‘The Queen's on the line’. She spoke to him that day with Boris Johnson coming up the drive.
“She spoke to him and was completely on the ball about the horse running, which by the way was a minor horse running in a minor race at Goodwood and about another that hadn't run in his stable and about something else. The horse was her last winner, it was called Love Affairs.”
The Queen made regular appearances at Royal Ascot with her biggest sporting passion being horse racing.
Scott says the Queen began riding at the age of six, which was when her love for horses began.
“She then got into racing because her father, grandfather had winning racehorses,” added Scott. “She said when she first went down to the races with her father, to the stables, and stroked a thoroughbred skin, she was fascinated by that and then fascinated by the breeding.
“Her involvement with racing wasn't just as a follower, she was a participant, and that makes a huge difference."
One of the most memorable moments from the Queen’s reign was when she was seen joyously clapping at Royal Ascot in 2013 as her horse won the Gold Cup.
Asked if the Queen was the most important figure in horse racing, Scott said: “Not just in British racing but in global racing.
“The single most iconic image in the whole racing game was the Queen coming up the race course at Ascot with those white horses and those coaches.
“To be presented with the trophy by the Queen at Ascot, that is what everyone in racing would aspire to.
“What was exciting for us was at the end of her life, she actually got a better bunch of horses than she had ever had, really. We felt very, very lucky.
“When she was starting out, she had a major winner here at Ascot in 1954, and in 2013 she won the Gold Cup. To have that span is unique and will never, ever be equalled.”
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