The Queen’s horses in 2022 | Top five Royal runners this year and promising horses

The late Her Majesty the Queen had more runners and winners last season than at any other point in her 70-year reign. A total of 36 winners from 166 runners at 22% saw her make the top 10 of UK owners for number of winners in 2021, headed by horses like King’s Lynn, Reach For The Moon and Chalk Stream.

This year she wasn’t far off matching the same sort of numbers at the time of her death. When Improvise was beaten a short head at Epsom on September 8, the day she died, The Queen's horses had figures of 20 wins from 110 runners at 18% for the year, her final winner being Love Affairs, trained by Clive Cox, at Goodwood on September 6.

Given it has been another successful season for the royal runners, it’s worth recapping the top five from 2022 and picking out three more promising horses to follow in the future, whoever is responsible for their entries.

Royal Runners – Top Five

1. KING’S LYNN (Timeform rating 118)

After an excellent 2021, which yielded Listed wins at Haydock and Doncaster as well as two very good efforts in defeat at Royal Ascot, it’s been a relatively quiet campaign for the Cable Bay five-year-old. Victory in the Group 2 Temple Stakes at Haydock in May was a career-best win, but he’s been seen just twice subsequently, both times at Royal Ascot where ehe was beaten in the King’s Stand Stakes and Platinum Jubilee. Taken out of the Flying Five upon news of The Queen’s death, King’s Lynn is entered in the Group 1 Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot on Champions Day.

2. SAGA (Timeform rating 115)

Saga, aptly, was the catalyst for the John Gosden-Frankie Dettori fallout in the summer, or the straw that broke the camel’s back, at least. Given plenty to do by the usually on-point Italian at the Royal meeting, the blinkered grey flew home in the Britannia Stakes to grab second, where he was beaten a head by Thesis. Up 8lb after that, the son of Invincible Spirit was beaten in handicaps at Ascot and York, shaping as though he needs further than a mile now, which he’ll get if he takes up his Cambridgeshire entry over nine furlongs at Newmarket on September 24.

3. REACH FOR THE MOON (Timeform rating 112)

After a successful juvenile campaign, in which he won the Group 3 Solario Stakes by four lengths, there was chat of Reach For The Moon being a potential Derby horse for The Queen in 2022. That plan didn’t work out, so Royal Ascot was hatched as an alternative project and the Gosdens seemed to have done their job when he lined up for the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes as the 2/5 favourite. Dettori wasn’t to blame this time as the son of Sea The Stars finished second to deserved winner Claymore who was just too good on the day. Reach For The Moon hasn’t been seen since, but he is entered in the Group 2 Joel Stakes at Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire meeting.

4. TACTICAL (Timeform rating 111)

Tactical beat the future Platinum Jubilee winner Naval Crown in the 2021 Free Handicap at Newmarket but he’s winless in 10 runs since. Wind surgery in pre-season hasn’t worked the winning oracle but he is inching down the weights and he ran his best race since that Free Handicap win last time out when a length sixth to Fresh in a seven-furlong handicap at Ascot on September 3. A first-time tongue-tie was employed there, so that will likely be retained, and he’s in the Challenge Cup Handicap at Ascot on October 1.

5. PERFECT ALIBI (Timeform rating 101+)

The Queen’s Vase form has been working out well and though Perfect Alibi was well down the field in that race William Haggas’ filly has run well twice subsequently, winning in handicap company at Newbury before finishing second to Hoo Ya Mal in the much-maligned March Stakes at Goodwood. She played up beforehand in Sussex, but she ran well against the 116-rated Hoo Ya Mal – even if he looked a horse not worthy of such a number in the St Leger. She looks progressive, though, even if an entry in the Group One Fillies’ & Mares’ at Ascot on Champions Day looks fanciful.

Royal Runners – Promising Horses

1. EDUCATOR (Timeform rating 101p)

Deep Impact colt Educator looked a horse to follow when he won a good race at Newmarket in April by a nose. The third, Israr, came out and won the always red-hot London Gold Cup at Newbury, so the form looks good, but we haven’t seen Educator since that spring return. He is entered up in the Old Rowley Cup at Newmarket on October 7, at least, and he’s a strong, imposing colt that looks likely to progress again if all is well.

2. MELLOW YELLOW (Timeform rating 97p)

Well backed following an absence of 328 days, William Haggas’ Mellow Yellow made light work of her opponents in a Wolverhampton novice upon her return on August 12. The daughter of Dubawi travelled well on the front end under Stevie Donohoe, making all as she cruised to a comfortable success over subsequent Ayr winner Misty Dancer. She too is entered in the Fillies & Mares at Ascot, but wherever she goes next she’s a filly worth following.

3. CIRCLE OF FIRE (Timeform rating 88p)

A derby entry for next year, Sir Michael Stoute’s Almanzor colt Circle Of Fire looks a smart horse for the future. He was green as grass on debut at Leicester on August 7, when third, but he learnt loads from that and put the experience to good use as he ran away with a Salisbury novice on September 1. “He’s big and impressive physically and for his size and scope Sir Michael has been seeing something at home,” said John Warren, racing manager to The Queen. A best of 66/1 for the 2023 Derby, he’s one to watch.

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