Royal Ascot opened today with a cracking card of great racing and star performers.

The procession of Royal Landau at Royal Ascot today

As usual it was opened by the Royal procession of carriages along the course from Windsor, led by the Queen and Prince Philip, who seemed in great form.

The Queen and Prince Philip in the first carriage

The second of the four Landaus carried the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall together with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. I’m told that all three ladies wore hats by Philip Treacy. Can that be a record? Even so, they all looked a little glum in that carriage.

Prince Charles and Camilla with Beatrice and Eugenie

Apart from the Princesses, none of the younger Royals was present, although Zara Phillips is expected. Princess Anne arrived on foot rather than in a carriage.

Perhaps Kate Middleton and even Chelsy Davy will be along on Ladies Day.

Royal Superlative is the first racehorse Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have owned together. They also bred the horse at the Royal Stud in Sandringham.

Royal Superlative at Sandringham

The magnificent bay filly certainly lives up to the superlative in her name. Camilla and Charles are hoping she will have a memorable career on the racetrack. The Royal couple will choose a trainer within days, and the filly should make her debut on the racetrack in the spring or summer.

Camilla is said to be “excited” by the challenge after visiting the horse at the Royal Stud at Sandringham on Thursday. It was Camilla who chose the name. However, staff at the Stud use her nickname of “Eve” or “Evey”, apparently after her dam, Supereva. Her sire is King’s Best, a talented stallion which won the 2000 Guineas seven years ago.

Charles and Camilla at Royal Ascot racecourse

It is believed they will register their new racing “silks” early in 2008 before Royal Superlative runs. The alternative is that the horse could run in the Queen’s famous mauve and turquoise colours.

The Telegraph mentions a third option which is for “the horse to run in the Duchess’s name in the brown and red colours of her late maternal grandfather, Roland Cubitt, the 3rd Baron Ashcombe, who owned many winning racehorses in the early and mid-1900s”.

Joe Grimwade, manger of the Royal Studs said, “The Duchess was kind enough to say that she is thrilled with the filly. The Duchess saw the filly in her box and watched her exercising. She has taken a great interest in the filly’s welfare because she is a real horsewoman.

“I think the Duchess — and the Prince too - just want to be involved in the joy of watching something grow from being a hairy little new-born to, hopefully, a successful racehorse on the track. That’s the buzz and the fact that they bred the horse too is an added attraction, because they have been involved in the whole process.This is the exciting stage for any owner. All of a sudden a previously immature individual starts to look like a proper racehorse. The initial target is just for Royal Superlative to be a winner.

“We have been absolutely delighted with the filly’s progress through the autumn. She has come through the whole backing process without any setbacks or problems. She is now at the stage where she is hack cantering in ridden work and we would expect her to go to a trainer early in the new year. She should be running in the summer.”

Here at Royal Anecdotes we will be watching the career of Royal Superlative with great interest.