Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the people of Kingsford Smith, I offer my sincerest condolences to members of the royal family on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. It truly is the end of an era with the closing of the second Elizabethan age. While it's been a time for mourning, so too have we all celebrated the compassion, the strength and the resilience of Queen Elizabeth II over her seven decades of service.

Queen Elizabeth II probably visited my electorate more than any other electorate in this parliament—not only because Kingsford Smith airport is in my electorate and, when you come to Australia, you fly into Kingsford Smith airport but also because the Queen had a very fond love of the horseracing industry and, in particular, visiting Royal Randwick Racecourse. Her Majesty attended Royal Randwick on three occasions during her visits to Australia: in 1954, in 1970 and in 1992.

We all know that the Queen loved her horseracing. Her Majesty rode for pleasure as well as in ceremonial events. But it was her passion for racing that stayed the course throughout her life. It was a rare outlet in which she had the opportunity to revel in competition and enjoy the spoils of sport. Her Majesty said:

I enjoy breeding a horse that is faster than other people's. And, to me, that is a gamble from way back in life.

Indeed, the Queen's first win on the turf as an owner and a breeder was in the UK with Monaveen over the jumps at Fontwell Park in 1949. Her first flat winner followed soon after in 1950 with Astrakhan, a horse that was given to her by the Aga Khan as a wedding present.

It was only a few years later, when Queen Elizabeth II was 27 years old, that she sailed into Sydney Harbour on 3 February 1954 and practically stopped the nation. She was the first and, to date, the only British monarch to visit Australia. On that busy first trip, Her Majesty made time for a special visit to Randwick Racecourse on 6 February for the running of the newly named Queen Elizabeth Stakes. On her return to Australia in 1970, the Queen also visited Randwick Racecourse, this time for the third day of the Autumn Carnival, featuring the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, where she presented the winning trophy.

It was on Her Majesty's visit to Randwick in 1992 that the then Australian Jockey Club was granted the rare honour of calling and renaming the racecourse the Royal Randwick Racecourse. Royal Randwick and Royal Ascot are the only two racecourses anywhere in the world that are allowed to use the official title 'Royal', as approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It's a pretty special quinella, and Randwick can forever be proud of that special bond with Her Majesty's love of horses and racing.

While she enjoyed thousands of winners throughout her life and throughout the world as an owner and a breeder, it wasn't until 2016 that Her Majesty claimed her first win on Australian turf, with Bold Sniper coming first in a race in Sandown in Victoria. It was only earlier this month that a horse owned by the Queen, Chalk Stream, ran in her famous colours at Royal Randwick. Sadly, that will be the last time that purple, gold braid, scarlet sleeves, black velvet cap and gold fringe will be carried by a horse in an Australian horse race. But that connection will continue not just in Randwick but in our broader community and beyond.

Queen Elizabeth II's life was dedicated to serving the people, her nation and the Commonwealth. She was, of course, supported along the way by her late husband, Prince Philip. He'd been her strength and stay for 73 years. On behalf of the people of Kingsford Smith, I pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II for her compassion, her strength and her resilience over seven decades of service. May she rest in peace.

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