King Charles was visibly moved in the Royal Box after a horse he inherited from his late mother stormed to a surprise victory at Royal Ascot. The King was spotted wiping away tears as outsider Desert Hero pulled off a remarkable upset under top jockey Tom Marquand to win the 2023 King George V Stakes — a race named after Charles' great-grandfather.
Emotional Victory
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 triumph netted Charles a handsome £51,540 in prize money — yet the fairytale victory was priceless for a far more personal reason.
Desert Hero was bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the win coming poignantly at the first Royal Ascot since her passing the previous September. It also came exactly 10 years after another one of her horses, Estimate, famously stormed to glory in the Ascot Gold Cup — the showpiece race of the five-day festival.
Tribute to the Queen
Interviewed 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 triumph served as a poignant tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, whose passion for racing stretched over seven decades and saw her breed and own hundreds of winners throughout her reign. Royal Ascot was invariably a highlight in her diary, with the late monarch seldom absent from the prestigious fixture.
Continuing a Legacy
Charles has endeavoured to uphold that legacy since ascending to the throne, frequently attending the Berkshire spectacle alongside Queen Camilla, who shares his enthusiasm for the sport. Desert Hero went on to secure another lucrative victory in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, delivering Charles prize money exceeding £110,000.
He subsequently travelled to Doncaster for the St Leger – one of Britain's five Classic races – where he put in a courageous performance to finish third. He underwent gelding in February 2024 but proved unable to recapture his earlier brilliance and was ultimately retired at the age of five.
