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Britain's Queen Elizabeth had special cause for celebrations on Thursday when her horse Estimate won the Royal Ascot Gold Cup. _0"> On a day of sentimental successes and broken records, it was the first time a reigning monarch's horse had claimed victory in the race's 207-year history. Estimate, a four-year-old filly trained by Michael Stoute, held off a challenge by Simenon in the final furlong to win by a neck and initiate a rapturous reception for the Queen in the winner's enclosure. The Queen was expected to present the winner's trophy, but instead received it from her second son, the Duke of York. Estimate, a 7-2 favorite, won at Royal Ascot last year when landing the Queen's Vase. The Queen's grandson Peter Phillips told Channel 4: "It's amazing! This is her passion and her life.   "She's here every year and she strives to have winners -- to win the big one at Royal Ascot means so much to her." Jockey Ryan Moore

David Beckham drew a line under China's soccer history on Thursday, saying he hoped to inspire local children to get back into the sport. _0"> Appointed in March as a Chinese soccer ambassador shortly before the start of the new Super League season, the former England captain faces a tough task with local soccer still in a quagmire following a long line of graft issues.   In February, two former soccer administration heads were banned for life by the Chinese Football Association for accepting bribes, while Shanghai Shenhua, who made waves by signing former Chelsea strike duo Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, were docked points for matchfixing and stripped of the 2003 title. "When I first came on as ambassador of the Super League, I was well aware of what has happened in the past, and people question why I wanted to be involved in something that in the past had a bad name or corruption involved," Beckham told reporters in Shanghai. "For me, the past is t

Olympic silver medalist Carmelita Jeter has pulled out of the U.S. championships due to injury but will still be eligible for August's world championships in Moscow as defending 100 meters titlist, officials said on Thursday. _0"> Jeter, the second fastest female sprinter of all-time, injured her right quadriceps at the Shanghai Diamond League meeting in May and has not run since then.   She won the world 100 meters gold in South Korea in 2011, earning her an automatic berth in the August 10-18 world championships. She will be able to accept the wild card spot without competing in the U.S. championships because of the injury, a USA Track and Field spokeswoman said. The U.S. meeting, being held in Des Moines, Iowa through Sunday, serves as the American trials for the world championships. (Editing by Larry Fine)

New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez was mobbed by reporters and trailed by a news helicopter on Thursday as investigators probed the killing of a young man found less than a mile from the star tight end's sprawling home in North Attleborough, Massachusetts. _0"> The body of 27-year-old Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player for the Boston Bandits, was discovered on Monday in an industrial park in the town, which lies about 40 miles south of Boston. Police have since searched Hernandez's house and questioned him. A spokeswoman for the Bristol County Prosecutor's Office, Yasmina Serdarevic, said on Thursday prosecutors were not prepared to discuss possible suspects. "All I can say is that this is an active homicide investigation," she said. Hernandez has also been slapped with a civil lawsuit by a Connecticut man, Alexander Bradley, who claims the Patriots tight end shot him in the face after the two left a Miami strip club in

American Charley Hoffman kick-started his bid for redemption at the Travelers Championship with a stunning nine-under-par 61 for a one-shot lead after Thursday's opening round in Connecticut. _0"> Hoffman, looking to atone for last year's collapse when he squandered a two-shot lead with two holes to play, turned a steady start of five straight pars into a sensational round, carding five birdies and two eagles over the final 13 holes. Compatriot Hunter Mahan, fresh off a share of fourth place at the U.S. Open, was alone in second following a bogey-free, eight-birdie 62 while big-hitting Bubba Watson sits third following an entertaining 63.   Hoffman came to the 17th tee in last season's event at TPC River Highlands with a two-shot lead over Marc Leishman's clubhouse number but double-bogeyed to drop into a tie before making bogey on 18 to hand the Australian the win. "Believe it or not, I was thinking about (last year) going down 16, 17, 18," said

Champions Audi seized the top three grid spots for the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race on Thursday with Frenchman Loic Duval securing pole position for the number two car shared with Denmark's Tom Kristensen and Britain's Allan McNish. _0"> The lockout by the three diesel hybrid factory cars was Audi's first since 2002 at the Sarthe circuit.   Duval's best time of three minutes 22.349 seconds was set in Wednesday night's first session with changeable weather and red flag interruptions thwarting others' efforts to go faster on Thursday. The number one Audi R18 e-tron shared by Andre Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoit Treluyer - winners for the last two years - will start in second place with the number three car of Oliver Jarvis, Lucas Di Grassi and Marc Gene in third. Toyota, Audi's main rivals for victory on the 90th anniversary of the endurance classic, which is in its 81st edition, qualified fourth and fifth but threaten to be stronger in t

Eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tom Brady steered the high-scoring New England Patriots to another AFC East crown last season but turmoil in the team's receiving ranks could pose a problem for the 2013 campaign. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the team's twin towers of strength at the tight end position, are both under clouds, a new crew of wide receivers has been brought in to audition and Brady's favorite pass target has been replaced.   "We've had a lot of turnover this year, especially at that position," Brady told reporters about the pack of wide receivers he has been working with in organized workouts. "Really there hasn't been anyone we've thrown to in any game action." Gronkowski, who in 2011 led the National Football League with 17 touchdown catches, underwent back surgery on Tuesday, his fifth operation in less than a year following four surgeries on his left forearm. Hernandez, another of Brady's favorite receivers, i