Three-time champion jockey Frankie Dettori has been leading the tributes from the horse racing world following the death of Queen Eilizabeth II.
The Queen had been closely associated with the sport throughout her life and has been described as its “greatest supporter”.
Dettori said racing has “lost its greatest friend”. The monarch’s passion for horse racing brought her five Classics and 24 Royal Ascot winners during 70 years as an owner and a breeder.
“It was undoubtedly one of my career highlights – it was such a great occasion and it was always a privilege to ride for Her Majesty,” Dettori told the PA news agency.
“She was an incredible lady. I have been riding for the Queen for the last 30 years. She was such a special person and she had a great sense of humour.
“Her knowledge of racing was incredible and her dedication to her horses was plain for everyone to see. She loved her horses and loved the breeding side of things, seeing them develop and race, and then breed from them. She knew the families inside out.
Dettori rode more than 50 winners for the Queen. “It was always a special feeling to put on those silks,” he added.
“Though I am an Italian, I’ve lived in Newmarket for over 35 years – I’m part of the furniture – and always felt a huge sense of responsibility and pride riding for Her Majesty.
“Whenever you rode a winner for her, you could almost burst with pride. It was emotional at times.
“She had such a passion about racing and I was lucky enough to have so many conversations with her about the sport that we both loved.
“Her knowledge was vast and you could see the pleasure she got from talking about horses. I treasure the conversations I was very fortunate enough to have with her.
“She knew the form and could list generations of pedigrees without any reference to the stud book, and she knew the personalities and traits of every horse.
“Racing has lost its greatest friend. She was such a massive supporter of the sport, but more than that, the country’s loss will be immeasurable. It is a very sad day for everybody.
“Her Majesty served the country with such incredible dedication. She was a truly remarkable lady and I feel very privileged to have been in the company of such an amazing person.”
Nicky Henderson, who trained racehorses for the Queen and Queen Mother, added: “Racing has lost its best friend and greatest patron, the country has lost its Queen - but she was more than a Queen. The country has lost somebody who was its greatest servant. She was absolutely the greatest.
“She knew horses inside out, so it was always a pleasure to be able to talk and discuss horses - and lots of other things as well. Her loss is immeasurable. It is an emotional day and I am very emotional.”
In the gallery above, we have picked out some of the best images of Queen Elizabeth at horse racing fixtures and other sporting events over the years. To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.
