Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Friday 19 June 1953, page 20


COVETED ASCOT CUP TO QUEEN

Australian Associated Press

T ONDON, Thurs.-The Queen turned the tables on

the Derby victor Sir Gordon Richards when her 100 to 6 outsider Choirboy streaked past Sir Gordon's mount, Brunerto, to win the coveted Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot yesterday.

Sharing the Queen's delight, the rain-drenched crowd went wild with excitement, dropped umbrellas, and dashed to line the rails as the Royal party en-tered the enclosure tb see the winner led in.

The Queen, who had watched every yard of the race through binoculars, pausing only to acknowledge the crowd's cheers when Choirboy took the lead, recorded her first win as an owner since the Coronation.

She first congratulated the trainer,' Captain Boyd-Roch

fort, then jockey Doug Smith, j and finally the stable boys, who meanwhile were re-warding the four-year-old Choirboy with a handful of

grass.

It was. the happiest few min-utes of the second Royal As-cot day, which was transform-ed by rain from the world's topline race fashion spectacle to an affair of mackintoshes,-rainboots and umbrellas.

Even the traditional Royal procession in horsedrawn car-riages had to be abandoned for fear of damaging the rain-soak-

ed course.

Instead the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh drove in a car to a portico behind the Royal box..

Mr. H. D. Wills' Happy Laughter won the Coronation Stakes for three-year-old fillies

over a mile.

Tessa Gillian was second, and Tudor Goddess was third. -

Happy Laughter started fav-ourite at 9/4. Tessa Gillian started at 15 to 2,-and Tudoi Goddess started at 10 to 1. "