King Charles III’s first runner since inheriting Queen Elizabeth II’s string of racehorses finished second on Thursday, seemingly disappointing the new monarch.
Educator, a three-year-old colt, was the first horse to wear the royal purple, red, and gold colours since Britain’s longest-serving monarch died on September 8.
Educator, bred by the Queen, did not win a fairytale handicap at Salisbury.
The 11-10 favourite, ridden by Tom Marquand and trained by William Haggas, finished several lengths behind the 7-4 winner Okeechobee.
“The plan was to win, and it didn’t go as planned — that’s horse racing,” Marquand told the BBC.
“It’s a new era, and while it’s exciting, it’s also sad. All I’ve ever known, like most people, is the Queen, and it’s been passed down to the King. It’s fantastic in terms of carrying on her legacy because she put so much hard work and passion into it.”
“He (Educator) ran all right, but he’s been a long time off the track and he’s a big lad who is quite full of himself and he needs racing, basically,” said the trainer’s wife, Maureen Haggas.
Pavan Manzoor is an experienced content writer , editor and social media handler along with a track record of youth-oriented activities in Pakistan and abroad. She was selected as a fully-funded delegate as a leadership fellow in Turkey. She also led a team of 5 volunteers at the week-long Young Professionals Fellowship in Maldives. She is also a member of the Youth Standing Committee on Higher Education.
