Royal Ascot Tips: Queen Anne Stakes Ante-post Preview and Each-Way Betting Tip

The opening race of Royal Ascot, the Queen Anne Stakes, was upgraded to Group 1 status in 2003 and since then has attracted the crème de la crème of older milers from Europe and beyond.

Palace Pier, the highest-rated horse in training according to Timeform, still has some way to go to emulate the 2012 winner, Frankel, but is nonetheless odds-on to win his seventh race in eight starts.

 

Palace Pier sets the standard

Palace Pier won the St. James’s Palace Stakes, over the round mile, at Royal Ascot last season, but lost his unbeaten record when only third, beaten 3½ lengths, in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, over the straight mile, last October. Soft going and the fact that he lost his left fore shoe may have contributed to that defeat, but he confirmed his well-being with a comfortable 1½-length victory over Lady Bowthorpe in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in mid-May. He is fully entitled to confirm that form with Top Rank, Lord Glitters and the others who finished further behind and sets a formidable standard.

 

Order Of Australia could be the Ballydoyle pick

Aidan O’Brien currently has four entries, the pick of which may well be Breeders’ Cup Mile winner, Order Of Australia, for whom this race ‘looks an obvious target’, according to his trainer. The son of Australia could head to Royal Ascot with or without a preparatory run but, either way, a testing mile should play to his strengths, especially if the going is on the fast side. He has been beaten on three of his four starts at the highest level, but has the pedigree to be exceptional and is still not fully exposed as a miler.

 

The Revenant needs to improve

Trained in Chantilly by Francis-Henri Graffard, The Revenant holds a decision over Palace Pier, having won the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over course and distance last October. Whether or not that form should be taken at face value is debatable. What isn’t, though, is the fact that the 6-year-old has been a beaten favourite on both starts, in lesser contests at Saint-Cloud, this season and has twice finished behind Duhail. That form isn’t good enough to win this and, while it’s much too soon to be writing him off, it may well be that he is not quite the force of old.

 

So, too, does Queen Power

Queen Power returned to the winners’ enclosure for the first time in nearly two years when readily winning the Middleton Fillies’ Stakes, over 1 mile 2 furlongs, at York in mid-May. She has yet to win over a mile, or at the highest level, but ran well enough in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes, over course and distance, last season to suggest she has a ‘squeak’ in receipt of a 3lb fillies’ allowance.

 

Champers Elysees has a place chance

A Group 1 winner over a mile at Leopardstown last September, Champers Elysees has, like The Revenant, been a beaten favourite on both starts this term. She has won on going ranging from good to firm to heavy, so a return to faster underfoot conditions may not, necessarily, bright about an improvement in her form. Even in receipt of a 3lb fillies’ allowance, she still officially has 10lb to find with Palace Pier, so a place appears the best she can hope for if the favourite runs to form.

The bookmakers currently bet 10/1 bar two in a lopsided ante-post market, so the time is ripe for an each-way ‘burgle’ on second-favourite Order Of Australia. He has just 5lb to find with Palace Pier on official ratings and, with the possibility of further improvement to come, looks fair value at the odds on offer.

Selection: Order Of Australia (7/1 each-way with Bet365)

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