DOMINIC KING: No royal heroics as bonny colt Desert Hero comes in third in the St Leger, but the King and Queen light up Doncaster

No one said they were here, but everywhere you looked you knew they had arrived: the extra police presence, the one box at the top of the stands without any advertising, the special path created to allow quick access to the grounds of the winner possible.

Then, just after 3.15pm, there they were in the parade ring: King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the first royal visitors to Doncaster Racecourse, ready to see if Desert Hero, their beautiful chestnut colt, could go down in the history books and become a could become a classic hero.

Those not versed in racing may think the Windsors are regulars at the track, but that is not the case. Being on Town Moor, on an overcast autumn afternoon – an event a far cry from the spectacle of Ascot in June – made this a hugely important moment.

And like Ascot, it was clear that the king was completely into it. As the countdown to the Betfred St Leger began in earnest, he had an audience with Tom Marquand, the jockey charged with riding Desert Hero, which went well beyond frothy platitudes.

As Desert Hero jogged ahead of them, white sweat stains on his neck showing he was ready for battle, the King and Marquand – along with Maureen Haggas, wife of trainer William – laughed easily.

Royal visitors came to see if Desert Hero could enter the history books in the St Leger (center of photo, Desert Hero’s jockey Tom Marquand)

To top it all off, racegoers at the edge of the paddock were given an audience of their own as the King posed for photos and then an excited lady, desperate for his attention, waved, ‘Charles!’ It was an experience unlikely to be repeated.

But could this visit end in victory? The Doncaster crowd likes to shout home a nice horse and Desert Hero was sent off at 6/1 – only Frankie Dettori’s horse, Arrest and Continuous ahead of him in the betting – received plenty of financial and sentimental support.

During the initial phase, Desert Hero moved well. He can be exuberant and wants to get on with things, but everything seemed fine as Marquand, in that scarlet and purple silk, hugged the inside rail, waiting for the right moment to attack.

But when push came to shove, he didn’t have the pace of Arrest and Continue. As they shifted through the gears, Marquand crouched lower and began scrubbing away, hoping the turbos that kicked in at Royal Ascot in June and Goodwood in early August would do so again. By the time they did, however, Continuous had shot away, but his final effort, which took him past Gregory and Tower of London, moved him into third place.

As Marquand and his willing partner headed back to the room reserved for the bronze medalist, something unexpected happened. A number of jockeys were stopped from going back to weigh in and there was the king again, wanting a full debriefing.

Desert Hero was sent off at 6/1, third favorite of the race after Frankie Dettori’s arrest, and eventual winner Continuous

Continuous came home ahead of Frankie Dettori’s horse Arrest and King’s horse Desert Hero

This visit was so surprising that James Doyle, who had ridden Chesspiece for Simon and Ed Crisford, almost ran into Charles with his saddle. The pair stopped and shared a joke. The king listened attentively as Marquand guided him through the race.

“You can praise the horse for its attitude,” Marquand said. ‘It was a good turn. It’s fantastic for racing and the crowd. He didn’t win, but he ran great.’

That’s it in a nutshell: no one will ever be satisfied with having lost, but Marquand and Haggas had the polish of men who knew something bigger was at stake.

“Good day overall,” Haggas said. ‘He has had a career-best and to me he looks like a horse who will be perfect for King George and Hardwicke (at Royal Ascot) next year. I’m proud of him. Everyone enjoyed it.’