A gallop with Highclere Thoroughbred Racing

On the gallops at Newmarket’s Warren Hill, a group of four riders dressed in beige jackets and caps approach at a brisk canter, their horses’ hooves drumming and manes flying.

Trainer Luca Cumani – who has produced two Derby winners among a host of other champions – looks on with an expert eye.

He’s not entirely happy. ‘Come on girls,’ he says, ‘I’m trying to make athletes here, not sleeping policemen.’

How to chose your horseracing colours

Her Majesty the Queen favours a purple jacket with scarlet sleeves and gold braiding topped by a black velvet cap with a gold fringe. Sir Winston Churchill opted for pink with chocolate sleeves and cap, while Lord Astor’s choice was a pale blue jacket with a pink sash and cap.

We are, of course, talking about horseracing silks, the distinctive colours worn by jockeys when representing a particular owner.

Choosing a set of silks is a subject that has occupied most race horse owners’ minds at some point – certainly those who, unlike the Queen, have not been bequeathed particular colours by their ancestors.