Queen Anne Stakes Entries: Baaeed tops a list of 10 entries for Royal Ascot opener
Superstar four-year-old Baaeed is the star attraction in a list of ten horses entered for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes, which kicks off Royal Ascot 2022 next Tuesday. We take a look at the ten-strong entry list and touch on some of the odds for the one-mile crackerjack on June 14...
Seven wins out of seven have catapulted the William Haggas-trained Baaeed to the top of the Flat racing ladder, as having ended last season with a sparkling victory over Palace Pier in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day, the son of Sea The Stars kicked off his campaign with a facile win in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month.
Cruising to an emphatic three-and-a-quarter length victory over Real World on his return in the Lockinge, Baaeed enhanced his already lofty reputation, and he's set to try and maintain his 100% record on day one of Royal Ascot, as he goes in search of win number eight, and he is the red-hot 2/7 favourite with the bookmakers at the latest entry stage.
Sure to be many punters' banker heading to the Royal meeting, the Haggas-trained star's price may put many off, and they could well look elsewhere for some value in the betting.
The aforementioned Real World is set to have another crack at Baaeed and has been entered by Saeed bin Suroor as he looks to build on a creditable second placed finish in the Lockinge, but he's an 8/1 chance to get his head in front, and it's going to be a tough ask for him to reverse the Newbury form around.
Haggas is set to have a strong team heading to the contest that will kick off five fabulous days of the Royal meeting and Aldaary, who was last seen winning the Listed Sprint Trophy at Haydock will make a notable step up in grade, and he showed the end of last season when winning the Balmoral Handicap on Champions Day that he can deliver goods at Ascot, and at 8/1 he makes notable interest.
Richard Hannon's Chindit was another brushed aside by Baaeed in the Lockinge Stakes, as the 14/1 chance could only finish in third spot, but he's set for another crack here, while Aidan O'Brien, who last trained the winner back in 2020 with Circus Maximus could be doubly represented with Order Of Australia, who is a 16/1 shot, and former 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth, who is available at 25/1.
Eve Johnson Houghton's Accidental Agent was a sensational winner of the Queen Anne way back in 2018, and the eight-year-old, who ran a stormer last time out at Ascot in the Victoria Cup (second) is set for another crack at this event and is as big as 50/1.
Completing the ten entries will be Sir Busker (50/1) who is a former winner of the Silver Royal Hunt Cup and finished third in this race 12 months ago, Happy Power (50/1), who was unplaced in the Group 3 John Of Gaunt Stakes last time out, and Lights On (25/1), who kicked off her season with a fine win in the bet365 Mile, and the five-year-old mare will look to kick on from that effort.