York racecourse pays tribute to Her Majesty the Queen
Elizabeth II was well known for her love of the sport of horse racing
Officials in the world of horse racing have paid tribute to the Queen saying she was a huge ambassador for their sport.
James Brennan is from York Racecourse and says she was also a very successful owner. "Here at York alone, 51 horses carried those famous Royal silks to victory, elsewhere in the sport most of the major prizes came her way. She won three of the four classics and came agonisingly close to winning the Derby.
Mr Brennan has told Greatest Hits Radio she was a brilliant ambassador but it was clear that she too love the sport "Every time you see on those news clips the reaction, the joy that Estimate winning the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot clearly brought to her... We've lost an owner, a breeder and above all a huge ambassador."
Her Majesty was named the British flat racing Champion Owner in 1954 and 1957.
Her passion for horses clearly runs in the family, with Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall both competing in equestrian events at Olympic Games. Zara even won a silver medal at the London 2012 games.