Top milers set to battle it out for G1 Queen Ann Stakes
Next week’s captivating five-day Royal Ascot spectacular takes no time to get into top stride on Tuesday with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m), where an intriguing tactical battle is expected in this first Group 1 encounter of the meeting, which concludes on Saturday (June 20).
Contrasting their respective racing patterns, two of the world’s leading older milers, Notable Speech and Opera Ballo, are expected to top the Queen Anne Stakes market for trainer Charlie Appleby and powerhouse operation Godolphin.
Notable Speech’s electric late acceleration was used to great effect when he gained his fifth Group 1 in last month’s Lockinge Stakes over Newbury’s straight 1600m.
Opera Ballo is invariably super quick early. After winning his first Group 1 in January’s Jebel Hatta (1800m), the colt was uncatchable from the front in April’s Group 2 Sandown Mile (1600m), three lengths ahead of 2025 Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Field Of Gold.
It will be intriguing to see how last year’s winner, Docklands, races. A specialist at both Ascot and over 1600m, he was galvanised quite late here a year ago, having raced midfield in two sparkling efforts at Sha Tin, fourth in the 2025 G1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) and third in the 2026 G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m).
The G1 St James’s Palace Stakes (1594m), also on Tuesday, features a keenly anticipated clash between Bow Echo, Gstaad and Rayif – Group 1 winners of the English, Irish and French 2000 Guineas (Poule d’Essai des Poulains), respectively, over 1600m.
But this Classic-winning trio may not have things all its own way in the exciting three-year-old encounter – first run in 1834 – as Appleby’s Talk Of New York also staked his claim when accelerating clear by five-and-a-half lengths in Sandown’s Listed Heron Stakes (1600m) at the end of May.
A brazen display of speed will be on offer in Tuesday’s G1 King Charles III Stakes (1000m). In recent times the appearance of Australian sprinters has enriched this meeting and Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass – a close fourth behind Ka Ying Rising in last October’s G1 The Everest (1200m) in Sydney – not only adds international flavour but the consistent speedster also has feasible winning chances.
Francis-Henri Graffard’s Daryz is the likely favourite in Wednesday’s (June 17) G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (1993m). The athletic son of Sea The Stars has enhanced the huge reputation earned after his triumph in last year’s G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) with two scintillating 2026 Group 1 victories, also at ParisLongchamp.
Daryz’s most fearsome rival is likely to be John & Thady Gosden-trained Ombudsman, who surged through traffic and from the back to win this last year.
Even by his own extraordinary standards, trainer Aidan O’Brien has been rampant in top European races this season, and another prestigious Group 1 could easily fall his way via Scandinavia in Thursday’s (June 18) G1 Gold Cup (3991m).
Scandinavia comes with positive expectations as he tackles this marathon trip for the first time, but if there are any stamina chinks in his armour, the likes of Rahiebb, Caballo De Mar or last year’s winner Trawlerman will be primed to exploit them.
Trainer Karl Burke is the king of long-priced winners at Royal Ascot, but in Venetian Sun he has a likely favourite aiming to stretch her unbeaten record over this trip in Friday’s (June 19) G1 Commonwealth Cup (1200m). Impressive acceleration saw her win last month’s Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes (1200m) at Haydock.
Joliestar has won several of Australia’s top sprint races, and Chris Waller’s five-year-old speedster could now add huge international status with victory in Saturday’s (June 20) G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m).
Her rivals are expected to include Satono Reve, who came very close to capturing this race last year behind Lazzat. Satono Reve has had the misfortune of bumping into Ka Ying Rising four times at Sha Tin with the predictable outcome each time.
