Queen Anne Stakes (1m, Tuesday, June 15, 2.30pm)
Royal Ascot is the biggest week in the British flat racing calendar. Alongside a plethora of Group 1s, racing fans are treated to some of the most competitive handicaps of the year, and some cracking juvenile contests that unearth future stars. In anticipation of this year’s meeting, Daryl Carter is providing his expert analysis and ante-post betting selections for all of the big Royal Ascot races. Here, Daryl provides his thoughts on the Queen Anne Stakes – the curtain-raiser on Day 1 of Royal Ascot.
Palace Pier
Arguably Europe’s top miler and this race was quoted as the “obvious target” by Frankie Dettori on the back of a pleasing victory at Newbury in the Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes in May. He won that race as his price tag suggested he should have, and while the media have gotten carried away with the form, I haven’t, which means he will need to improve to win this.
He is entitled to, though, and is like an engine that has just started to purr, which is scary for those that want to oppose the three-time Group 1 winner. He is proven on heavy ground as well as fast ground, and with the overall time of his Lockinge win three seconds faster (12 lengths) than the 95 rated winner on the card, Ascension, he is not short of speed. Layers can take comfort because his sole defeat came on this straight course for all that may be due to being over the top after a fruitful campaign.
Alpine Star
Alpine Star has done very little wrong in her short career to date and is a winner of 3 of her 7 starts, including the Group 1 Coronation Stakes here last term off the back of a 302-day break. She has been beaten by the smallest of margins in Group 1 company on her last three starts and finished runner-up each time. That includes chasing home market leader Palace Pier in Deaville in the Prix du Haras De Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Mariois, and the market probably doesn’t reflect the 3/4 length defeat there. She is tough and hardy and will be primed to the minute for this race.
Love
It would be highly surprising to see likely Arc hope Love drop back in trip to this 1m and should be avoided in this ante-post market.
Armory
Aidan O’Brien will likely be represented by a handful of runners in this contest, and Armory would be another to drop back in trip after his promising Huxley Stakes win at Chester over 1m2f. It’s not out of the question, but it’s likely the Prince Of Wales would be the prefered target after doing his best work at the finish and lacking the gears at the top level over this 1m trip previously.
Lope Y Fernandez
Surely didn’t give his running at Newbury and is probably over-priced at double-figure odds because of that. He has a high-class CV and is unexposed over 1m after just three starts, and although beaten in the Breeders’ Cup Mile by stablemate Order Of Australia, he was poorly positioned and should be able to reverse form with a stiffer test. He has disappointed at this Ascot venue now on three occasions and whether this course is the place for him to bounce back has to be a question mark.
The Revenant
Loves soft ground and has run his two career-best RPR’s over course and distance. He is now six and will look to emulate Lord Glitters, who won this as a 6yo in 2019, and although beaten in both starts this term, they came on good ground, and it would be folly to discount him back here. Each-way chance (ground dependant)
Victor Ludorum
Hasn’t reached the heights that were expected of him as a three-year-old and looked all about stamina last term. He has unfortunately bumped into superstar Mishriff on a couple of occasions at that distance. The drop back in trip is a question mark, as is his first trip across the channel.
Sinawann
Mark Halford’s four-year-old has progressed with each start and has the three-year-old form to suggest he could be competitive here at big odds providing the ground is on the quicker side of good. He was not seen to best effect at Leopardstown behind Safe Voyage last time when denied a clear run that recorded an RPR of 118 and not far off that of those that head the market outside of Palace Pier. He will likely arrive here fresh, and that does leave a question mark when looking for a career-best effort, but he is one of the likelier players at big odds.
Tilsit
Tilsit is the forgotten horse for Charles Hills, and I am not quite sure what they were doing in Saudi earlier this year over a trip too far but on his best form last year, including when beating My Oberon – and his fourth in the Shadwell Joel Stakes he could offer some value. Back on a flat track here and down to 1m he is entitled to improve on the high level of form he has already shown after just five career starts. This is his sole entry at the meeting and providing the ground is on the quicker side, he could surprise a few.
Conclusion
There is very little value at the head of the market from an ante-post perspective in this race, especially when the most likely winner, Palace Pier, is at the price he will likely be on the day. In all honesty, the remainder have a mountain to climb to reach the heights Palace Pier and Alpine Star have, but THE REVENANT may be worth taking a punt on because if the ground turns on the soft side, there is no way in hell he will be the double-figure price he is now.