King Charles was seen wiping away a tear at Royal Ascot after a horse he inherited from his late mother stormed to victory in a lucrative race. The King appeared visibly emotional in the Royal Box after outsider Desert Hero sprang a surprise under top jockey Tom Marquand to claim the 2023 King George V Stakes – named after Charles’ great-grandfather.
Emotional Victory at Royal Ascot
The three-year-old colt, trained by Yorkshire-based William Haggas, held off the late challenge of the Qatari royal family’s Valiant King to prevail by a head at odds of 18-1. The victory earned Charles a cool £51,540 in prize money – but the fairytale win was priceless for another reason. Desert Hero was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the triumph coming poignantly at the first Royal Ascot since her death the previous September.
It also arrived exactly 10 years after another one of her horses, Estimate, famously roared clear to victory in the Ascot Gold Cup – the blue-riband race of the five-day festival.
Family Reactions
Speaking after the win, the late Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall said: “It’s bittersweet, isn’t it? Think how proud our grandmother the Queen would have been. To have a winner for Charles and Camilla and keep that dream alive was incredible. It’s a new excitement. Like all those owners that come here and have a horse here, having that dream, that hope and then fulfilling it is incredible. The horses are the main game here, that’s why we get involved and love them and the competition, the adrenaline…it’s indescribable!”
Continuing the Tradition
The victory was a fitting tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, whose love affair with racing spanned more than seven decades and saw her breed and own hundreds of winners during her reign. Royal Ascot was always a highlight of the calendar, with the late monarch rarely missing the prestigious meeting. Charles has sought to continue that tradition since succeeding to the throne, regularly attending the Berkshire showpiece alongside Queen Camilla, who is also a keen racing enthusiast.
Desert Hero's Subsequent Career
Desert Hero went on to notch another money-spinning win in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, earning Charles a prize worth more than £110,000. He then headed to Doncaster for the St Leger – one of Britain’s five Classic races – where he finished a brave third. He was gelded in February 2024 but was unable to rediscover his previous form and was eventually retired aged five.
