A top trainer has been left devastated after a treasured set of Royal Ascot trophies were stolen.
Wesley Ward's collection of 12 mementoes, worth £75,000, went in a break-in at his American home.
One of the trophies was presented to him by The Queen, after Undrafted's 2015 Royal Ascot success in partnership with jockey Frankie Dettori.
Police have released a picture of the suspected thief, taken from a remote camera inside Ward's Kentucky property on Tuesday morning.
Ward, the first American trainer to saddle a winner at Royal Ascot in 2009, also lost the trophy from Campanelle's triumph at the meeting last year.
"They're beautiful boxes engraved with the horse's name, including the one I received from the Queen when Undrafted won, which is a memory that my kids and I will never forget," Ward said via the Racing Post.
"It's really upsetting."
Ward's Royal Ascot runners are always noted by punters, as he doubled up when making history 13 years ago.
Strike The Tiger and Jealous Again, two-year-old horses, emerged triumphant in their respective races.
The Queen Mary sprint, won by the latter, has become a particular favourite for his stable.
He has trained the winner of it on three more occasions at the prestigious fixture, the biggest week in the Flat season.
Ward reported to police that a trophy for Judy The Beauty's 2014 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint win was pinched with the Royal Ascot haul.
The 53-year-old added to Lex18.com : "Those (the trophies) are my most precious gifts other than my kids.
"Being a country boy and being able to meet the Queen of England, it was certainly a memory that not only I but my kids will never forget.
"It's just a big loss."
The Versailles Police Department is carrying out an investigation into the incident.
