Queen Anne Stakes Tips 2026: Royal Ascot Opener Preview And Best Bet

The best day of the racing calendar for flat fans kicks off with the Queen Anne Stakes over the straight mile at Royal Ascot. Day 1 is packed with Group 1 contest with stunningly competitive fields and the curtain raiser is no exception. Billy Grimshaw has assessed the field and makes the case for a disrespected returning champion at a tasty price.

Every season when casting one's eye over the Queen Anne, the place to start is usually with that same season's Lockinge. 50% of the winners over the last twelve years have come from that Group 1 at Newbury, with 50% of that six having done the Lockinge Queen Anne double. Notable Speech is the only horse in here who could achieve that accolade after his Newbury success and is predictably favourite, but for all he has an obvious chance I did not think he warranted being sub 2/1 for this considering the depth of challengers.

Godolphin have a very strong hand int his race, but have a rotten recent Royal Ascot record. Just one winner since 2022 in the Group 1s is unacceptable for an ownership group this big and powerful and it is a concerning stat for anyone looking to back a favourite trained by Charlie Appleby or wearing the royal blue. Notable Speech may of course win, but his Ascot record, particularly his poor effort in the St James's Palace in his 2000 Guineas winning season over course and distance, rings enough alarm bells for me to swerve him. He was fourth in this contest last year with excuses, but even without the mitigatng factors I don't think he'd have gotten much closer to the first two home.

That's Appleby's leading hope dismissed then, but stablemate Opera Ballo is no back number and will be the pace angle if he repeats the tactics which served him to good effect when winning the Group 2 Bet365 Mile at Sandown last time out by three lengths, easily seeing off Field Of Gold. I am happy to take him on too, however, as Field Of Gold did not run to form that day and Ascot is not the track to be backing these front runners given the stiff finish, with the closers almost always coming to the fore. Appleby's final contender First Conquest has Ryan Moore on his back, always a bonus at Ascot or indeed any track, but looks to have his work cut out for him on the figures.

Circling back to the aforementioned Lockinge, More Thunder ran a storming race for second and certainly looks to have staked his claim as a genuine miler now after being moved from pillar to post trip wise throughout his career thus far. He was tried at middle distances for Sir Michael Stoute before the legendary trainer's retirement led this son of Night Of Thunder to William Haggas, who tried with some success to make him a sprinter or seven furlong horse last campaign. Haggas looks to have cracked the code running him over a mile judging by that Newbury effort and with his stamina assured and hold up tactics almost certain, he rates the chief threat to my pick. I may even have a saver on him so I don't lose on the race should he win, because of this entire field he is the least exposed as a miler and any step forward from Newbury will see him running a mighty race.

With Ascot form figures of 1-1-3-2-2-2-1-4 and bringing the title of defending champion to this race, the bet simply has to be DOCKLANDS each-way at a best price 13/2 with bet365. He is a bona fide Group 1 performer at this venue and this venue only and his season habitually revolves around the big mile races at Britain's most famous flat racing venue. Watch back his win in the race this time last year and while all the chatter in the aftermath was decrying Rosallion's will to win, that did a huge disservice to the grit shown by the winner. Harry Eustace's charge tries his heart out at this track and loves the straight mile.

With Opera Ballo and potentially First Conquest in here, the pace will be true and that also suits Docklands to a tee. I do not believe Notable Speech at peak form is better than Rosallion, so if Docklands saw that rival off last year, why can't he see off this year's favourite? He may just find an improver too good - as I have said, the fear is More Thunder has more to show at a mile - but I would be flabbergasted to see Docklands out of the three and think he has a fantastic chance of retaining the Queen Anne. Anything north of 5/1 appeals each-way, but if you are reading this and he has been backed into sub 5s I would not be opposed to taking anything down to 4/1 as the basement price.