Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll

We were fortunate to benefit from two Royal visits by Her Majesty over a 25 year period and to be able to celebrate her lifelong interest in equine affairs and particularly horse racing.

In 1995 we were honoured when Her Majesty made her first visit to the Honest Toun to perform the opening of The Queen’s Stand, our then new £500,000 hospitality facility.

It was a Monday afternoon on 3 July about 5.30pm when The Queen arrived at the racecourse to be greeted by members of the Musselburgh and Fisherrow Trades Band playing the National Anthem.

Watched by up to 1,000 East Lothian Council officials, elected representatives and members of the Lothians Racing Syndicate, Queen Elizabeth unveiled a plaque commemorating her historic visit and officially opened the stand named in her honour.

She visited the paddock to watch the runners being paraded before the first race, however, her attention was all on the second race in which her horse, Piquant, was entered but the 6/4 sadly finished the race in seventh place.

It was just more than 21 years to the day – 8 July 2016 – that Her Majesty returned to Musselburgh Racecourse, this time to help us celebrate our 200th anniversary. Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, she watched the racing from the stand she opened in 1995 - but again victory at Musselburgh eluded her when the two horses entered from the Royal stables, Forecaster and Elementary, both finished third in their respective contests.

The Regimental Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland and the Pipes and Drums of The Royal Scots Borderers, accompanied by Royal Regiment of Scotland mascots, Cruachan lll and lV, performed for her and the Duke, watched on by an enthusiastic crowd.

On her departure, The Queen was presented with a bouquet of flowers by racecourse caretaker Adam Nish and his wife Elaine, who at the time had together worked at Musselburgh for 80 years.

Following the success of our Bicentenary celebrations, we were again delighted when Buckingham Palace granted permission for Musselburgh to stage a new race, The Queen’s Cup, in honour of the monarch. The £100,000 race is a stayers-open heritage handicap which traditionally features in our opening Flat race of the season at Easter and precedes the top stayers handicaps, The Chester Cup, Northumberland Place and The Ebor.

Musselburgh Racecourse general manager, Bill Farnsworth, said: “Like the rest of the nation and everyone involved in horseracing, we are deeply saddened to hear this news. On her second visit to Musselburgh Racecourse to mark our 200th anniversary The Queen took a genuine interest in the development and history of the racecourse, and I remember fondly the day as a true celebration of horseracing and one on which she put smiles on countless faces.”