Party atmosphere as jubilee queen goes to the races

Racegoers revelled in unexpected British sunshine Saturday as Queen Elizabeth II got her diamond jubilee party under starter's orders with a day at the races. Rapturous punters cheered and waved to the 86-year-old sovereign, an avid horse racing fan, as she arrived at the Epsom Derby dressed in royal blue to start four days of celebrations for her 60 years on the throne. Guests in top hats and tailcoats packed the grandstands at the Epsom Downs racecourse, southwest of London, while regular punters joined in the fun, waving flags and toasting the occasion with champagne. Celebrations began with a spectacular parachute jump display, in which members of the army's "Red Devils" display team twirled giant Union Jacks and plumes of smoke through the sky before whizzing down onto the turf. The monarch and husband Prince Philip, 90, waved to the crowds as they were driven down the home straight before mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins sang the national anthem, rounded off with another huge cheer. The monarch smiled broadly as her consort waved his top hat to the crowds of around 130,000. Weather forecasters had predicted clouds but after an overcast start the sun came out. Gazebos were covered in bunting, while food stalls did a roaring trade and music blared out as people whizzed through the air at funfair rides. Pincy Bryant, 43, was dressed to the nines in Union Jack regalia: a waistcoat, bow tie, braces and even heart-shaped sunglasses. "I did have the hat but it blew away," the truck driver told AFP. "It's a special day for all of us. She is one in a million. God save the queen!". He added: "We had quite a lot of winners in the end, including a 50 to one shot. The sun's shining, it's the queen's jubilee; happy days! "When she came past, she gave us a little wave." The Derby, Britain's richest horse race, was the showpiece of seven races on the card Saturday at Epsom. The blue riband event, often described as the world's greatest flat race, was won by odds-on favourite Camelot. The queen, a respected horse breeder and owner, is a Derby regular. "Her knowledge of thoroughbreds and breeding goes way back. She's absolutely amazing," said Epsom racecourse chairman Anthony Cane. In the Queen's Stand -- topped with the Union Flag and the Royal Standard -- the royal box was decked out with garlands and members of the royal family popped out to watch the races. Prince Philip chatted with his grand-daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie while the queen's youngest son Prince Edward was animated as he peered through binoculars. Bookmaker Diane Barrett stood holding a fistful of notes as punters studied the prices. "The atmosphere is electric once the horses come round the corner. It's one of those where you just hold your breath. "In these days of recession, there's not as much money in the rings. People used to put down £100 or £200, but the money up in the city isn't what it was. "It's been a really friendly crowd. Everybody's come to enjoy themselves and that's exactly what they've done, they've enjoyed some drinks in the sunshine. A brilliant day." Open-top buses filled the Lonsdale Enclosure -- one with a cardboard cut-out of the queen watching from the upper deck, another decked out as Buckingham Palace. Jason Margrave, 39, a property developer from Epsom, was dressed in what he called "relaxed 1950s weekend attire": a tweed jacket, cravat and fedora hat with a smouldering pipe of vanilla tobacco. "You can't beat the atmosphere here. It's a fantastic day out. You've got the history, the queen. "I've had a little luck on the horses -- but not as much as I would like," he said as he collected his Coronation Cup winnings. The Derby is the only one of the five English classics that Queen Elizabeth has never won. The closest she got was in 1953, when, just four days after her coronation, she saw Aureole finish second. The last reigning monarch to have a Derby winner was her great-grandfather king Edward VII with Minoru in 1909. Bookmaker Tony Cole from Rich Racing said business this year had been light. "But there's been a much better atmosphere, they've got the course done up right, people have enjoyed it, they've been thriving in the festival atmosphere." Steve Gallager, 27, an electrician from Sligo in northwestern Ireland, ended up £150 down but was planning to make the most of the four-day jubilee long weekend. "It was all going good but then it all fell away. The hot favourites were winning," he said. "The plan now is to go back into town, get drunk and roll on for the rest weekend. It's going to be a crazy session!" Once the racing was over, the strains of hot sun and several drinks began to kick in. One man in a pantomime horse costume cleared the barriers for a gallop on the final furlong.