John Ingles provides an overview of the key things to note on the first day of Royal Ascot.
Lockinge form to be turned around in Queen Anne?
Five days of top-class racing at Royal Ascot get underway with a mouth-watering renewal of the Queen Anne Stakes (14:30). Last year’s winner Docklands attempts to win it again, though the fact that there are plenty ahead of him in the ratings this year shows what a high-class renewal this. Five of the nine runners met in last month’s Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, so that looks like being key to the outcome here, though Ascot’s stiffer mile might be an important factor to take into account.
Notable Speech was clearly spot on for the Lockinge which he won with his striking turn of foot and will be bidding to add his name to the eight Godolphin horses who have won the Queen Anne, though Charlie Appleby, also represented by the Sandown Mile winner Opera Ballo and potential pacemaker First Conquest is yet to win the race. However, Notable Speech has been beaten at this meeting in his two previous visits, for the St James’s Palace Stakes two years ago and in last year’s Queen Anne when he was only fourth, and he might not be suited by the stiffer finish here quite so well as the Lockinge runner-up More Thunder.
More Thunder made giant strides in his first season with ‘Hot Trainer’ William Haggas last year, progressing from sprint handicaps – he was beaten a head in the Wokingham at this meeting – to a Group 2 win in the Hungerford Stakes. His first try over a mile for his current yard in the Lockinge confirmed that he’s well up to holding his own in Group 1 company and he saw it out well, earning the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag in running on for second, two lengths behind Notable Speech. Looking likely to progress further with that run under his belt, he looks capable of reversing that form.
Night Raider can complete hat-trick in King Charles III
There’s a huge field for the King Charles III Stakes (15:40) which includes last year’s first two home, American Affair and Frost At Dawn, and the 2024 winner Asfoora who should be thereabouts again, though fellow Australian Overpass brings very smart form on his first start overseas and looks a major player if he copes with dropping back to five furlongs.
There are plenty of others who appear to be just making up the numbers, however, but that’s not the case with ‘Hot Trainer’ Karl Burke’s runner Night Raider who has an unbeaten record this season to defend. He ended up in the unfavoured group when mid-division in this race last year when he contested several of the top sprints, often showing plenty of pace but never able to make it count.
But having been gelded over the winter, Night Raider has come back better than ever at the age of five and has won both his starts this year. Making all in the Palace House Stakes at Newmarket, he had plenty of his rivals in trouble some way out, with last year’s winner Rumstar reducing his advantage late on. Clearly thriving, Night Raider followed up on softer ground in the Temple Stakes at Haydock three weeks later where a tardy start meant he didn’t lead for a change, but that didn’t stop him running out a ready winner by a length from American Affair with several more of today’s rivals further back. He’s taken to emulate the 2016 Temple Stakes winner Profitable and follow up here.
Bow Echo hard to oppose in St James’s Palace Stakes
Six colts go to post over the round mile in the St James’s Palace Stakes (16:20) where Bow Echo bids to become the ninth 2000 Guineas winner this century to land this Group 1 prize as well, with Rock of Gibraltar, Frankel, Dawn Approach and, most recently, Coroebus in 2022, among those to have done the double.
Unbeaten in four starts all told for George Boughey, all on good to firm ground over a mile, Bow Echo revealed himself to be a top-class colt on his return at Newmarket early last month and one of the best winners of the 2000 Guineas this century. Travelling strongly, he ran out an impressive winner once quickening into the lead under two furlongs out, pulling two and three quarter lengths clear of Gstaad who was in turn a long way clear of the remainder, including Power Blue and Lord Britain who take them on again as outsiders here.
Gstaad has since landed the odds from the 2000 Guineas third Distant Storm in the Irish 2000 Guineas and looks sure to go well again, though there’s no obvious reason for him to turn the tables on his old rival. Talk of New York needs to take another step forward to trouble the Guineas principals, but he has been progressing very well in lesser company and won the Heron Stakes at Sandown last time by five and a half lengths. However, Bow Echo, who has the ‘Horse In Focus’ flag, could still be capable of better too, and is fully 8 lb clear in the Timeform ratings.
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