One of the biggest weeks of the horse racing season gets underway on Tuesday, June 18, as Royal Ascot kicks off. A high-quality week of action on track will get underway with the G1 Queen Anne Stakes, which is to be run over a mile.
Before Betting On Queen Anne Stakes
The Queen Anne Stakes is the traditional curtain-raiser for the Royal Ascot meet, with horses aged four and older competing over a mile. Triple Time continued the recent dominance enjoyed by horses aged four in the race last year, meaning that no older horse has won the contest since Lord Glitters in 2019.
A big danger to that trend comes in the form of Inspiral for John & Thady Gosden. The five-year-old was a dramatic winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare last year, but she was well below her very best on her return to action when claiming only fourth in the G1 Lockinge. Questions continue to surround the performance of Kieran Shoemark in the saddle.
A big French invasion is set for the race at Royal Ascot, with both Facteur Cheval and Big Rock holding solid claims. The latter was well beaten in the G1 Lockinge on his previous start, but potential testing conditions would improve his chances. Facteur Cheval is hard to completely dismiss after winning the G2 Dubai Turf with a career-best effort in March.
Audience got the better of many of these rivals when landing the Lockinge at Newbury, but the five-year-old had a really easy time of things on the front end, and is unlikely to be gifted that luxury again. Charyn was second in the Lockinge, but has already won twice over a mile this season.
Queen Anne Stakes Offshore Odds & Pick
Ground conditions will be the most important factor to take into account in the Royal Ascot opener. Soft or heavy ground would raise hopes with Big Rock, while fast ground makes fellow French raider Facteur Cheval dangerous. Either way, Inspiral could be a favorite well worth taking on.
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