4 Friday, May 20, 2011 racingpost.com/mobile THE QUEEN IN IRELAND racing post _ GET THE NEWS FIRST – FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Festival stars greet a special guest as Arkle glory relived Pupils who are part of racing’s future on show ALL aspects of the Racing Academy and Centre of Education (Race) were examined by the Queen yesterday as part of an introduction to several of the racing industry’s highly regarded education pro- grammes, writes Jessica Lamb. John Osborne, chief executive of the Irish National Stud, promised before the British monarch’s visit that a quarter of the people she would meet and learn about would be young people trying to build a future in racing. Introducing Race’s pupils was graduate Johnny Murtagh and the school’s director Keith Rowe. Four students met the Queen and showed her a demonstration of how they use a mechanical horse, called a simulator, to practise their race-riding position, whip use and finishing drives. Murtagh said: “The Queen asked me about the speed of the simulator and I said that’s how fast Carlton House will be coming around Tattenham Corner in the Derby. “I also told her that I think it will be her year, that she will win the Derby. This visit, her first to Ireland, is special and it could be that the rest of the year is special for her too.” Rowe added: “She was very interested in all aspects of the nine-and-a-half-month course particularly because there is an ex-student of ours called Kieran O’Neill in Richard Hannon’s yard who rode Countermarch to win in her colours at Wolverhampton in March and she knew all about him. “I was quite impressed. I read somewhere that she reads the Racing Post over her breakfast and in our brief discussion you’d support that. She knows her stuff.” The students left early to prepare for a 35km overnight hike to gain their Gaisce Awards, the personal achievement prizes that are the Irish equivalent of Britain’s Duke of Edinburgh Awards, which received praise from Prince Philip, according to Rowe. Jeremy Stanley, head of the Irish Farriery School, introduced two students who made shoes while the Queen watched and Michael O’Hagan, chief execu- tive of Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, presented the students of the Irish National Stud’s stud management course. Horse Racing Ireland chief executive Brian Kavanagh said: “This was a day when the industry’s best side shone outward. I saw it from the lawn and I saw the pictures from RTE on the screen and I’m sure the images going around the world today will be of Ireland’s excellence in the horse world. It was a very good day.” By Jessica Lamb THE Queen yesterday met with the seven trainers who gave Ireland a record haul of 13 winners at this year’s Cheltenham Festival and relived the life and times of the legendary Arkle with those who knew him best during a historic visit to the Irish National Stud in Kildare. On the third day of her first state visit to Ireland, the British monarch was given the opportunity to speak with many racing people, all of whom described her as “relaxed” and declared May 19 as a great day for the sport. Jessica Harrington, who saddled Bostons Angel to RSA Chase success, guided the Queen down the line, introducing each trainer and supplying details of their Cheltenham exploits. Champion trainer Willie Mullins, who saddled four winners at Cheltenham, commented on her style and knowledge and added he had recently learned about her heritage via Florida Pearl. “When I dug out Florida Pearl’s winner’s rug from when he won the King George, I realised it was the King George VI Chase,” he said. “Luckily there are men with more knowledge than me on her lineage and I now know he was Queen Elizabeth’s father. We certainly had a talk about that.” Trainer Mouse Morris kept matters down to earth with a Mickey Mouse tie, while Gordon Elliott greeted her as he would any friend with his customary “how’s it going, how you doing?”. Arthur Moore was reminded of Klairon Davis’s 1996 Queen Mother Champion Chase win and told the Queen of his pinhooking of Special Cargo, her mother’s favourite horse. Ian Ferguson, who trained Zemsky to win the Christie’s Foxhunter Chase, was another impressed by her racing knowledge, saying: “She seemed to be well clued up and thoroughly enjoyed the day. We certainly did too.” Henry de Bromhead described her as “charming”, adding: “She seemed to really enjoy talking to every one of us and she had an even greater chat with the Arkle people.” Trainer Jim Dreaper, son of Tom, the trainer of Arkle, intro- duced a small group ingrained within the story of the phenomenal triple Gold Cup winner, including Willie Robinson, rider of Arkle’s rival Mill House. He said: “I met her two years ago at Cheltenham and she remembered me and knew so much about us and Mill House and Arkle.” Near-neighbour Michael Halford, who scored his first Group 1 win with Casamento in last year’s Racing Post Trophy, and Charlie Swan craned their necks to watch the Queen view the stallions, while Kevin Prender- gast, bidding for Abu Dhabi 2,000 Guineas success with Dunboyne Express tomorrow, was also in the crowd. Clockwise (from left): John Osborne, chief executive of the Irish National Stud, looks on as his daughter Emma presents the Queen with flowers yesterday; the Queen steps away after unveiling a sculpture of Sea The Stars by artist Anthony Scott; Johnny Murtagh and the Queen watch Sophie Ralston give a riding demonstration