Queen Camilla has been sent a Christmas card requesting her to bring some much-needed royal luck to a race horse dubbed the country's unluckiest thoroughbred.

The team behind Thank You Ma'am, who has yet to win a race over jumps but has come a close second six times, wrote a card for Queen Camilla, a big horse racing fan, in the hope it changes their fortunes.

Mother and daughter trainer Georgie Nicholls and jockey Olive Nicholls, 18, are behind the horse, affectionately known as Leroy in the stable yard, and hope a royal endorsement might see Thank You Ma'am finally triumph. He has finished second in a string of races, though, including at both Ludlow and Ascot in November.

Rupert Adams, a well-known figure in the horseracing and betting industries, who manages the Posh Pundit racing club which owns the horse, said: "In Thank You Ma'am, we own one of the best but perhaps one of the unluckiest racehorses in the country."
Olive (left) and Georgie Nicholls are pictured with their beloved Thank You Ma’am

He added: "He's delivered excellent performances, but for a number of reasons keeps coming second. Leroy has come second in his past three outings over jumps and in total has finished runner-up six times.

"We will be asking Santa for a little luck this Christmas and perhaps an extra endorsement from Her Majesty the Queen could provide that little something that we have been missing - the all important first place."

The note wishes grandmother-to-five Camilla, 77, a happy Christmas and a letter accompanying the card is written by Mr Adams's nine-year-old son Harry, who wishes Camilla to "get well soon". It also has the touching words "we love you". The Queen Consort is still experiencing after-effects from her recent bout of pneumonia.

The Queen Consort has overcome a bout of pneumonia to attend royal functions recently (
Image:
PA)

The Queen regularly attends Royal Ascot with the King and the Cheltenham Festival, and is officially associated with a number of equine organisations including the Ebony Horse Club in south London and The Brooke, a charity caring for donkeys and horses.

Mr Adams added: "The rhyme says 'first the worst, second the best' but I cannot say I agree! That said, we know Susan Boyle was second on Britain's Got Talent and Buzz Aldrin was the second man on the moon - they have done pretty well out of that.

"Leroy is still young and I am certain he will get his day in the sun soon, with a decent win, though members are well ahead backing him each way in his races."

Would-be horse owners can buy a share in the thoroughbred, named in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, for £60 a year through the racing club website http://www.theposhpundit.co.uk

Mr Adams said: "Race horse ownership does not have to break the bank and our model is bringing the sport of Kings and Queens to the masses - we could even have our first win at Ascot on December 21 - come and join us on our incredible journey."