Architect picks his winner from the 10 runners in the Royal Ascot opener.
Queen Anne Stakes 2025
Royal Ascot’s curtain-raiser is the Queen Anne Stakes and this year’s renewal looks extremely competitive on paper, with the first, second, third and fourth from the Lockinge Stakes renewing rivalry. Six of the 11 runners are rated within 3lbs of each other on official ratings, making this an intriguing opener.
Queen Anne Stakes Runners Guide
Rosallion
Connections of Rosallion seem confident about last year’s St James’s Palace winner, and he shaped well when third in the Lockinge Stakes on his seasonal reappearance. However, as much as connections are confident that he will win - and the betting trends back up that confidence - I’m not so sure, and I am happy to take him on at the odds.
Lead Artist
Lead Artist got the better of Dancing Gemini in the Lockinge Stakes last time out under an acute Oisin Murphy ride and it's a big week for Colin Keane, who takes over in the saddle being the retained rider for Juddmonte. That being said, this horse has yet to run at Ascot, and I think he will do well to confirm the form now that a few of his re-opposing rivals will be fitter from Newbury.
Dancing Gemini
Dancing Gemini was only a neck behind him last time out and is improving, so he’s an obvious player on form, but I don’t think this course naturally suits him despite finishing fourth in last year’s QEII at this fixture. This will also be his fourth run in less than three months and others arrive fresher, so he’s vulnerable.
Notable Speech
Notable Speech was only a neck behind Rosallion when fourth in the Lockinge Stakes, and watching that race back, he travelled best of the three in front of him, before taking a low and running on again at the finish. He will have improved from that run and I’m hopeful he will go close.
Sardinian Warrior
Sardinian Warrior has four wins and two seconds from six starts and was last seen chasing home Sosie in a French Group 1 race. Christophe Soumillon retains the ride, so he will be of interest to some.
Diego Velazquez
Diego Velazquez hasn’t been seen in 276 days and will need a personal best to place let alone win it, so he can be taken on.
Lake Forest
Lake Forest finished second in last season’s Commonwealth Cup, but that wasn’t a strong renewal, and he looks out of his depth stepping up in distance against top-class, proven milers. Cairo was a well-held eighth in this race last year and he’s difficult to fancy back at the top level.
Carl Spackler
Carl Spackler adds a level of spice to the race being a multiple Grade 1 winner in the US, so while his main target is the Cox Plate, I can see him outrunning his odds for new connections. He beat the high-class More Than Looks twice last year, and the latter won the Breeders’ Cup Mile when last seen, which is good form (Notable Speech back in third). However, he’s never run on a straight course, nor on good ground over at the course, so that’s enough to overlook him.
Docklands
Beaten by Sardinian Warrior on the latter’s turf debut. I think both need to improve to win this though.
Quddwah
Simon and Ed Crisford’s Quddwah has won five of his seven starts and ran well to finish fifth in last season’s QEII. He’s a dual course winner and the way he travelled into that race here last year was eye-catching, so he could easily outrun his odds. I like him a lot and he’s actually unbeaten in four starts on good ground in the UK. He cannot be taken lightly on just his second start this season.
Cairo
The big outsider in the field at a best price of 100/1 with several UK bookmakers.
Queen Anne Stakes Tips
NOTABLE SPEECH (6/1) is my betting selection for the opener at Royal Ascot 2025.
I know he had the fitness when beating Rosallion in last year’s 2000 Guineas, but that was still Charlie Appleby's top-class representatives first run on the grass, and the turn of foot he displayed was electric. I don’t think any of the others in the field possess his burst of speed when he’s on his game from what I have seen.
A few have said he’s not the same horse as last season, but that is total rubbish! He went close in the Breeders’ Cup Mile when finishing third prior to that and his run in Paris when fifth on soft ground wasn’t that bad considering he hated the surface. He wasn’t far behind Charyn in that race either.
The only time he’s failed to fire was when a beaten favourite in last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes, but if you take away that effort, he’s been rock-solid. All good horses have an off-day and the way he destroyed the likes of Henry Longfellow and Facteur Cheval in the Sussex Stakes is some of the best form on offer.
The price between him and Rosallion is just too big, especially when you can get an each-way price about this dual Group 1 winner. I think he’s got a fabulous chance of providing William Buick and Charlie Appleby with a first win in the race.
