FRANKIE DETTORI and William Buick will kick off Royal Ascot in style with an epic battle over a mile in the opening race.
Dettori’s mount Inspiral and Buick’s ride Modern Games will slug it out in the Group 1 Queen Anne at 2.30.
ReutersWill Dettori have the upper hand on Inspiral in the Queen Anne?[/caption]
Some 12 runners will go to post but the bookies think it’s between those two – although they have been wrong before!
Here, Sun Racing’s top tipster goes through all the runners, rates them out of five stars and reveals his pick at the bottom.
Queen Anne Stakes runner-by-runner guide
ANGEL BLEU 2
FEELING Bleu. Dual Group 1 winner as a juvenile but things went astray and he broke an 18-month losing run with Listed success at Haydock last time.
This trip suits but he was only ninth at the meeting last year and needs more on this sharp step up in class.
BERKSHIRE SHADOW 3
SHADOW boxer. Sixth in last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes at the Royal meeting and ran a cracker when third in the Group 1 Lockinge at Newbury last time.
Likes this trip on decent ground and looks overpriced for his in-form trainer Andrew Balding.
CASH 3
CASH call. Has few miles on the clock and was a close second over course and distance in May after a break.
Solid run in the Brigadier Gerard last time when finding the 1m2f trip too far and he can improve dropped in trip. Big each-way price and may sneak into the first three.
CHINDIT 3
CHIN the hunt. Fourth in this last year before landing a Group 1 over course and distance in July.
Good Listed comeback win here last month before an excellent second in the Lockinge. Likely to come up short but has every chance of hitting the frame.
LIGHT INFANTRY 2
LIGHT weight. Almost two years since his last win but was just a neck away in a French Group 1 last month.
He enjoyed the longer distance there and this drop back doesn’t look sure to suit.
LUSAIL 2
SAIL windy. Not won for two years but wasn’t disgraced when sixth in the Lockinge behind a few of today’s rivals.
Likes quick ground but no obvious reason why he’ll turn the form around.
MODERN GAMES 5
OLYMPIC Games. Boasts a good record at this level with a Breeders’ Cup win last season over this trip on fast ground.
He showed his liking for slower conditions when second in the QEII Stakes here in October ahead of Inspiral.
Had plenty in hand when winning the Lockinge and likely to improve for that outing. Trip suits and he’s the one to beat.
MUTASAABEQ 3
BEQ and call. Got his own way up front when winning a Newmarket Group 2 last month but couldn’t pull off the same tactics when fifth in the Lockinge.
Will go from the front again but likely to find a couple too good again.
NATIVE TRAIL 4
GO Native. Was second in the 2,000 Guineas last year before winning the Irish version in style.
Hasn’t scored since then but went close in the Coral-Eclipse before coming back to a mile for a solid second to Mutasaabeq at HQ.
Looked a bit rusty there so can turn that form around and chase his stablemate home.
POGO 1
HAS to Go. Has had a brilliant career, winning from handicap to Group 2 level.
He wasn’t disgraced when seventh at the Breeders’ Cup but showed very little in Dubai this spring. Has shown his best over 7f and doesn’t quite look up to this.
TRIPLE TIME 1
OUT of Time. Did well as a two-year-old with a Listed win at Haydock over this trip and missed a year before scoring there again last September.
He then hated soft ground at Longchamp in October and we haven’t seen him since. He will win again but this looks a tall order.
INSPIRAL 4
IN the hunt. Won the Fillies’ Mile as a juvenile and returned to win the Coronation Stakes over this trip at last year’s Royal meeting where she enjoyed the quick ground.
She ran just three more times last term, with a Group 1 win in France before soft ground was against her when sent off a hot favourite for the QEII Stakes here in October.
The Gosdens will have her fit for this comeback and her best form – along with the 3lb she gets from the boys – makes her a major player.
Templegate’s tip
MOD’S a rocker in the Queen Anne Stakes.
MODERN GAMES looked up to this standard when winning the Group 1 Lockinge at Newbury last time.
He was always travelling nicely under William Buick and was well on top at the line.
He is at his best over this mile and, while fast ground is his favourite, he was a good second in the QEII Stakes in testing conditions here in October so he can cope if the rain comes.
Dry conditions would bring Inspiral right into this.
She hated it soft when beaten here last time but was brilliant when winning the Coronation Stakes at this meeting 12 months ago when it was rattling fast.
She also gets a 3lb weight allowance from the boys which can’t hurt.
Native Trail can turn Newmarket form around with Mutasaabeq as he was rusty on that return.
Cash looks the pick of the big prices dropping back to his best distance.
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