Queen Anne Stakes |
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| Group 1, Ascot 14:30 £800,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1  |
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The early clues for the Queen Anne Stakes are beginning to fall into place, and if these entries are any guide, the curtain-raiser to Royal Ascot promises its customary blend of class, intrigue and international depth.
Charlie Appleby, so often a dominant force on the biggest stages, appears to hold a particularly strong hand. Notable Speech brings top-level form of the highest order, his Breeders’ Cup Mile success marking him down as a colt of rare quality. A fluent traveller with a potent turn of foot, he sets a clear standard on paper and looks tailor-made for Ascot’s straight mile, where rhythm and balance are so often decisive.
Group 1 winner Opera Ballo makes all in the Group 2 @bet365 Mile! pic.twitter.com/9QSNEnmBHS
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 24, 2026
Appleby may not be reliant on a single dart, either. Opera Ballo, a recent Sandown scorer, has been quietly progressive and represents the type who can take a sizeable step forward when pitched into Group 1 company. Whether he possesses the raw class of his stablemate remains to be seen, but he adds depth to an already compelling challenge.
The home defence is far from one-dimensional. Docklands, last year’s winner, returns with the opportunity to underline that success was no fleeting moment. His proven effectiveness on the track is a major asset; Ascot form, particularly in straight-mile races, has a habit of repeating itself. If arriving in similar heart, he commands respect.
Then there is Field Of Gold, representing the yard of John Gosden and Thady Gosden, whose St James’s Palace Stakes victory in 2025 marked him out as one of the leading milers of his generation. Still relatively unexposed against older horses, he brings that tantalising profile of a colt who may yet have more to give. The transition from Classic company to open Group 1 level is never trivial, but his trajectory suggests he belongs.
What we have, then, is a race already rich in narrative: an established international star in Notable Speech, a defending champion with course credentials in Docklands, and a younger contender in Field Of Gold seeking to bridge the generational divide. Add in the potential for further international representation and the usual Royal Ascot unpredictability, and the picture becomes even more compelling.
Beyond the form lines, the broader context only enhances the race’s standing. With prize money continuing to rise—no Group 1 at the Royal Meeting now worth less than £700,000—the Queen Anne Stakes retains its position not just as the traditional opener, but as a globally significant target in its own right.
At this stage, much remains fluid. Preparations, ground conditions and final declarations will shape the narrative further. But on the evidence we have, this looks set to be a Queen Anne Stakes of depth rather than dominance—where tactical nuance, track position and that crucial turn of foot in the final furlong may once again prove decisive.
And as ever with Ascot’s straight mile, reputations are tested, not protected.
Queen Anne Stakes (British Champions Series)
£750,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m, Class 1
30 entries
Going:
(Form as of April 29)
THE QUEEN ANNE STAKES
Past Results
Owner: O T I Racing
Trainer: Harry Eustace
Jockey: Mark Zahra
Age/Weight: 5 9-02
SP: 14/1
Owner: Nurlan Bizakov
Trainer: Roger Varian
Jockey: Silvestre De Sousa
Age/Weight: 4 9-02
SP: 100/30F
Owner: Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
Trainer: Kevin Ryan
Jockey: Neil Callan
Age/Weight: 4 9-02
SP: 33/1
Owner: Shadwell Estate Company Ltd
Trainer: William Haggas
Jockey: Jim Crowley
Age/Weight: 4 9-02
SP: 1/6F
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
Owner: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Age/Weight: 4 9-00
SP: 2/7F
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Jockey: Ryan Moore
Owner: Flaxman Stables, Sue Magnier, M Tabor, D Smith
Age/Weight: 4-9-00
SP: 4/1F
Trainer: David O’Meara
Jockey: Danny Tudhope
Owner: Geoff & Sandra Turnbull
Age/Weight: 6-9-00
SP: 14/1
Trainer: Eve Johnson Houghton
Jockey: Charles Bishop
Owner: Gaie Johnson Houghton
Age/Weight: 4-9-00
SP: 33/1
Winner: Ribchester 4-9-00
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Richard Fahey
Jockey: William Buick
SP: 11/10F
2nd: Mutakayyef
3rd: Deauville
Details: 16 ran; Time 1m 36.60s; Dist 1¼, nk
Winner: Tepin 5-8-11
Owner: Robert Masterson
Trainer: Mark Casse USA
Jockey: Julien Leparoux
SP: 11/2
2nd: Belardo
3rd: Lightning Spear
Details: 13 ran; Time 1m 43.98s; Dist ½, 1¼
Owner: Wertheimer & Frere
Trainer: Freddy Head FR
Jockey: Maxime Guyon
SP: 11/8 Fav
2nd: Esoterique
3rd: Cougar Mountain
Details: 8 ran; Time 1m 37.97s; Dist 1, nk
Owner: Al Shaqab Racing
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Richard Hughes
SP: 4/5 Fav
2nd: Verrazano
3rd: Anodin
Details: 10 ran; Time 1m 37.73s; Dist ¾, 1¼
Owner: Sue Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Joseph Allen
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Jockey: Joseph O’Brien
SP: 15/2
2nd: Aljamaaheer
3rd: Gregorian
Details: 13 ran; Time 1m 38.48s; Dist ¾, ½
Owner: Khalid Abdullah
Trainer: Sir Henry Cecil
Jockey: Tom Queally
SP: 1/10 Fav
2nd: Excelebration
3rd: Side Glance
Details: 11 ran; Time 1m 37.85s; Dist 11, nk
Owner: The Heffer Syndicate, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Richard Hughes
SP: 11/8
2nd: Goldikova
3rd: Cityscape
Details: 7 ran; Time 1m 38.38s; Dist 1, 1¾
Owner: Wertheimer et Frere
Trainer: Freddy Head FR
Jockey: Olivier Peslier
SP: 11/8 Fav
2nd: Paco Boy
3rd: Dream Eater
Details: 10 ran; Time 1m 37.74s; Dist nk, 3¼
Owner: The Calvera Partnership No 2
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Richard Hughes
SP: 100/30
2nd: Cesare
3rd: Aqlaam
Details: 9 ran; Time 1m 39.31s; Dist 1½, ½
Owner: Frank Tagg/Sue Magnier/Frank Meduri/Garry Moffitt
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Jockey: Johnny Murtagh
SP: 5/1
2nd: Darjina
3rd: Finsceal Beo
Details: 11 ran; Time 1m 38.98s; Dist hd, ¾
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
SP: 5/1
2nd: Jeremy
3rd: Turtle Bowl
Details: 8 ran; Time 1m 37.21s; Dist sh, sh
Owner: Sue Magnier & Bob Ingham
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien IRE
Jockey: Kieren Fallon
SP: 13/2
2nd: Court Masterpiece
3rd: Proclamation
Details: 7 ran; Time 1m 40.0s; Dist 1½, nk
Owner: H H Aga Khan
Trainer: Andre Fabre FR
Jockey: Christophe Soumillon
SP: 4/1
2nd: Rakti
3rd: Starcraft
Details: 10 ran; Time 1m 36.64s; Dist 1½, ½; Run at York
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
SP: 12/1
2nd: Soviet Song
3rd: Salselon
Details: 16 ran; Time 1m 39.14s; Dist nk, ¾
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Saeed bin Suroor
Jockey: Frankie Dettori
SP: 9/2
2nd: Right Approach
3rd: Where Or When
Details: 10 ran; Time 1m 38.56s; Dist 4, ¾
Tillerman originally finished second but was disqualified after failing a post-race urine test.
