Queen Elizabeth smiles through, despite back pain

LONDON, Oct 27 (Reuters) Britain's Queen Elizabeth smiled and waved during a visit to the Jockey Club today, despite a nagging back injury that forced her to cancel two engagements in 24 hours.

Dressed in a purple outfit, she got in and out of her car without help on the visit to Newmarket race course in eastern England, headquarters of British racing's controlling body.

The monarch, a keen race-goer who is patron of the club, was attending a private lunch given by the stewards to mark her 80th birthday earlier this year.

''She appeared to enjoy herself and looked good,'' said a source at the club.

She had been due to stay for an afternoon of charity racing at Newmarket, during which videos of her winning horses were to have been shown, but pulled out earlier in the day.

Yesterday, the queen called off a visit to open Arsenal Football Club's new stadium in north London.

Buckingham Palace has said there is ''no cause for concern'' but doctors have advised her to rest, since the injury she suffered at her Balmoral residence in Scotland had not eased after two weeks of busy engagements.

REUTERS PB VC2126