Queen comforts girlfriend of late jockey at Cheltenham Festival

The Queen comforted the girlfriend of jockey Michael O’Sullivan who died following a racing fall as the horse forever linked to his career won at the Cheltenham Festival.

Camilla kissed and put a reassuring arm on Charlotte Giles when she 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.

The thoroughbred was ridden to victory in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2023 by O’Sullivan who died last month from his injuries following a fall at Thurles Racecourse, Co Tipperary, in his native Ireland.

He was honoured on the first day of the festival on Tuesday when the announcer ushered in the start of the race renamed the Michael O’Sullivan Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

Connell was keen to dedicate the success on Wednesday to O’Sullivan, with his former retained rider’s girlfriend part of the pre-race preparations for Marine Nationale and the post-race celebrations.

He said: “Charlotte was helping to tack him up and we got her in the photograph. I’ve spent a good bit of time with her in the last couple of weeks, and the family as well, and any little thing we can do to help everybody involved we will do.

“It’s been a heart-wrenching time for everybody. I’m sure he would be proud.”

The Queen ended her day at the premier meet for jump jockeys by presenting the Queen Mother Champion Chase trophies to Connell and jockey Sean Flanagan, after spending time in the royal box with her family and other royals.

She was joined by festival stalwarts Zara and Mike Tindall, Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank and her children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, with their father and her former husband Andrew Parker Bowles also part of the group.

Snow had greeted early risers at the famous racecourse but Camilla arrived in sunshine as punters poured through the gates ahead of the first race.

The festival is a huge event in the area with bars, hotels and pubs filled in nearby Cheltenham and, alongside a normal trolley service, one train, from Paddington, to the town’s main station, had another trolley selling just cans of beer.

Camilla has a keen interest in the equestrian world, regularly attending 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 and the Ebony Horse Club.

She was recently announced as the royal patron of the British Racing School which trains the next generation in the horse racing industry.