Royal Ascot 2017: Queen makes racing dash after Parliament date prejunior

As tradition dictates, the British monarch delivered her Queen's Speech, setting out the government's legislative programme for the next two years, at Parliament Wednesday.

Convention also demands Black Rod -- Lieutenant General David Leakey -- summon MPs from their chamber in the Commons to the Lords and after he carried out his duty Labour's Dennis Skinner jokingly heckled his colleagues: 'Get your skates on, first race is half past two.'



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Skinner's nickname is the 'Beast of Bolsover' -- a reference to his Derbyshire constituency and his firebrand left wing politics -- and Black Rod had his work cut out not to burst into laughter.

In the past Skinner has urged Black Rod to tell the Queen 'to pay her taxes.'

Buttercup outfit

The Queen is a fixture at Royal Ascot but there were fears she would miss Wednesday's Royal Procession when Prime Minister Theresa May delayed the State Opening of Parliament by two days because of the recent UK election result.

The 91-year-old monarch gave her speech in a blue dress and blue hat with yellow stars -- ironically, given Brexit, the colors of the European Union flag -- and then had time to change into a buttercup outfit and take up her position in the lead horse-drawn carriage for the traditional Royal Procession up Ascot's Straight Mile.

READ: Was The Queen's hat a statement on Brexit?

Her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, was missing after being admitted to a London hospital Tuesday to treat an infection arising from a pre-existing condition.

Royal Ascot, one of the highlights of the British sporting and social calendar, sweltered again on what was the hottest June day in the UK for 41 years.

Temperatures reached 33.9C at nearby Heathrow, prompting organizers to relax dress codes, allowing gentlemen to remove their morning suit jackets once inside the confines of the Royal Enclosure.

With the welfare of the horses uppermost, giant fans were placed in the paddock and huge bins of cold water were available to wash down the equine stars.

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'Incredible horse'

In the feature race of the day, the 1m 2f Group 1 Prince of Wales' Stakes, 9-4 favorite Highland Reel followed in the footsteps of greats such as Dubai Millennium and Ouija Board with a tenacious victory.

The five-year-old, under former champion jockey Ryan Moore, struck the front late on to hold off Decorated Knight (10-1) with 9-2 shot Ulysses back in third.

Highland Reel, which has won almost $7.5 million in prize money, added the win to his Coronation Cup triumph at Epsom earlier this month.

'He's a brilliant horse, Ryan gave him a brilliant ride. We're delighted for him,' trainer Aidan O'Brien, winning his 56th Ascot race, told ITV

'He's an incredible horse, he has courage, tactical speed, everything. He's a great horse. He won't stop, he's so quick tactically, he's so brave.'



The 29-horse one-mile cavalry charge of the Royal Hunt Cup went to 25-1 chance Zhui Feng, for trainer Amanda Perrett.

Zhui Feng won the biggest betting race of the meeting from Blair House, Tashweeq and Ballet Concerto.

Jockey Martin Dwyer, who made all the running up the inside rail, told ITV: ' He's a star this fellow. We knew stepping up to a mile would suit him. He's very tough. This lad gallops for fun.'

American trainer Wesley Ward saddled a second winner of meeting after Lady Aurelia's triumph Tuesday, with victory in the Sandringham Handicap.

His runner Con Te Partiro, a 20-1 shot, pipped the Moore-ridden Rain Goddess in the final race.

Earlier, favorite Qemah was the second French winner of the day with a three-quarters-of-a-length victory over fast-finishing outsider Aljazzi in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes. Last year's winner Usherette (11-4) made a late charge to clinch third.

The winning four-year-old filly, ridden by Gregory Benoist for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, won the Coronation Stakes at the meeting last year.

In the Queen Mary Stakes, a five-furlong Group 2 sprint for two-year-old fillies, Heartache (5-1) triumphed from America's odds-on favorite Happy Like A Fool, trained by Ward, who has saddled the last two winners of the race.

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French colt Le Brivido won the opening Jersey Stakes for trainer Andre Fabre from O'Brien's 66-1 outsider Spirit Of Valor.

'Incredible horse' Temperatures reached 33.9C at nearby Heathrow, prompting organizers to relax dress codes, allowing gentlemen to remove their morning suit jackets once inside the confines of the Royal Enclosure. Royal Ascot, one of the highlights of the British sporting and social calendar, sweltered again on what was the hottest June day in the UK for 41 years. READ: Tapwrit wins Belmont Stakes and $800,00 bonus

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