Queen Elizabeth II attends Musselburgh harness race

History was created at Musselburgh Racecourse at Edinburgh, Scotland today with her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II attending her first ever harness race.

Eight pacers went to post including recent heat and grand final winner of the Red John Memorial Cochise with sixteen year old John Henry Nicholson in the bike.

Cochise led briefly entering the home straight before Merrington CheckM8 and UK's leading driver William "Rocker" Laidler took it up and set sail for home. Gordon Gilvear and Evenwood Ruthless were poised in the leaders slipstream however and when produced with two furlongs to travel the combination sprinted past the favourite and into a commanding lead.

Fending off all-comers in the dying strides of the 1 mile 3 furlong marathon, the line came just in time for Evenwood Ruthless to the delight of owner Karen Kennedy and proud mother of the driver Morag Gilvear.

Diamond O'Neil with Will Greenhorn ran on gamely to be second with Cochise rallying late to snatch third. Among the unplaced were Next Generation and lady driver Kelly Peacock, Tommy Camden (Richard Haythornthwaite) Afan Romeo (Andrew Cairns) and Dontstoptheparty (Brian Gilvear)

Race organiser Jim Kemp hailed the event a huge success and was quoted saying that all participants were a credit to the sport of harness racing but also joked later that he doubted whether her royal highness would now become a regular racegoer at local track Corbiewood, a short drive from her Scottish summer residence!

It was reported that the Queen "loved the way they paced" and enjoyed the race.

by Thomas Bennett for Harnesslink