Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot Betting Preview and Tips

Steve Mullington

June 13th, 2019

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Quick Tips:

• Accidental Agent to win - 11/1 with Bethard

Ante Post Look at the Queen Anne Stakes

Royal Ascot is one of the highlights of the flat season, and where better to begin than with a close look at the Queen Anne Stakes, the race which kicks off the meeting. This ante-post preview takes a look at the history of the race, and this year’s renewal.

What Is the Queen Anne Stakes?

One of the most exciting times of the entire season for flat fans, as Royal Ascot begins properly. Being a race at the Royal Meeting it has plenty of history – it was established in 1840. It used to be run as the Trial Stakes, before its renaming in honour of Queen Anne, the found of Ascot Racecourse.

It used to be open to three-year-olds and above, but when the race was given Group 1 status in 2003, it became an event for older horses.

Any Trends?

As an elite event, it’s pretty obvious that big trainers will be involved. In the last 10 years Aidan O’Brien, Richard Hannon (senior and junior) and Freddy Head have won seven renewals between them. Whilst Royal Ascot is known around the world for sprints, this is also a race with a rich international history and we’ve had winners from America, France and Ireland in the past 10 years. Also, Haradasun was an ex-Australian horse who had just joined Aidan O’Brien when winning in 2003.

What’s the Key Form Race This Year?

Rather than just looking at the favourites, it makes sense to look closely at what is surely the race which will have the most impact, the Lockinge Stakes.

At Newbury that day Mustashry, 9/2 with 888Sport, was a comprehensive winner over Laurens, 7/1 with Mr Green, who travelled best in the race before fading to finish second.

Accidental Agent, an 11/1 shot with Bethard, flew home for third whilst Romanised, a former winner of the Irish 2,000 Guineas who is 28/1 for this race with Sport Nation, ran his best race for a good while when fourth.

The big eye-catcher was Le Brivido, who is the 4/1 favourite with Unibet. He was short in the betting leading up to the race before taking a big drift in the on the day betting market. Such a drift was unwarranted, based on the way he came home after being blocked in his run, having to head around the retreating Without Parole and Lord Glitters before starting his run at the 2-furlong pole, and then passing half the field to finish a terribly unlucky sixth.

He has an obvious chance with a clear run, but most horse racing betting sites are short on his chances now, and he is priced as if he would have won the Lockinge with a clear run.

Are There Any Other Contenders?

Barney Roy, a former winner of the St James’ Palace Stakes and who has since been infertile at stud, is 7/1 with 888Sport after a couple of very promising efforts this season. He was second in the Paradise Stakes on his return.

That form has been boosted by Zaaki, the winner that day, following up in The Diomed Stakes. Barney Roy was impressive when he took the Prix De Montreut at Longchamp, despite not getting a clear run. He will need to improve on that to get involved, but he did have more in hand than the winning margin suggests and it’s possible Charlie Appleby can still get him to do better.

Hazapour, fifth in last year’s Derby, is 16/1 with William Hill. This course and distance should suit him but the form of his Amythest Stakes win is very weak and he did not put that opposition away as easily. He is not one to dismiss, but even at the prices, he does not make a huge amount of appeal.

We don't know if Zabeel Prince, the winner of the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp, will take his chance. The 15/2 on offer with him at MansionBet is a risky ante-post option. If he did go, he would very much need a strong pace, but an end-to-end gallop would see few finish better. Make sure you check the final field to see what the pace outlook will be like if he does line up.

Who Is The Pick?

Accidental Agent, last year’s winner, is value at the 11/1 with Bethard. He was a shock winner last year, but re-watch his sixth in last year’s Lockinge and he was really quite eye-catching there.

He followed that up with his win, and this year he ran even better considering he’d had a 232-day break over the winter compared to the 17-day break last year, and he came home with what was arguably a better run than Le Brivido. He can give ante-post punters a strong run for their money.