CHELTENHAM, England — Queen Camilla comforted the girlfriend of a jockey who recently died following a fall as the horse forever linked to his career won at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday.
Camilla kissed and put a reassuring arm on Charlotte Giles, who had joined trainer Barry Connell on the winning podium after his horse, Marine Nationale, won the feature race of the day — the Queen Mother Champion Chase.
Marine Nationale was ridden to victory in 2023 in another big Cheltenham race, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, by Michael O’Sullivan, who died last month from his injuries following a fall at Thurles Racecourse in his native Ireland.
O’Sullivan, who was aged 24, was honored on Tuesday — the first day of the festival — when the announcer ushered in the start of the race renamed the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
Giles was part of the pre-race preparations for Marine Nationale and the post-race celebrations, too.
Minutes later, Jazzy Matty — another winner under O’Sullivan at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival — further honored his memory with a poignant success in the Grand Annual Chase.
Jazzy Matty’s jockey, Danny Gilligan, said: “I think we all know there is someone very special looking down on us today. That is for Michael.”
Camilla regularly attends major racing meets such as Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival and is associated with a number of equine charities including The British Equestrian Federation. She was recently announced as the royal patron of the British Racing School, which trains the next generation in the horse racing industry.
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