Queen Anne Stakes Tips & Preview - Rosallion to one to beat in Royal Ascot opener

Jon Vine

Editor

Last updated: 16 Jun 2025

Share

Jon Vine 16 Jun 2025

Share this article

2025 Queen Anne Stakes starts with top contenders at Royal Ascot
Rosallion emerges as a favorite post-Lockinge Stakes performance
Trainer Hannon optimistic about Rosallion's enhanced fitness

Expired

Sean Levey riding Rosallion (yellow silks) on his way to winning the St James's Palace Stakes. (Getty)

Royal Ascot kicks off with the Queen Anne Stakes with leading milers contesting the historic Group One.

Get the lowdown on the leading contenders and our value selections for the big race.

2025 Queen Anne Stakes Runners

The first four from last month's Lockinge Stakes will clash again at Royal Ascot. Lead Artist claimed a somewhat surprising victory that day, having finished last on his reappearance at Sandown. Dancing Gemini was the unlucky loser, finishing a very close second after a difficult trip from stall one.

Despite finishing third in the Lockinge, last year's St James's Palace Stakes winner Rosallion tops the betting heat. 2024 2000 Guineas winner, Notable Speech, placed fourth at Newbury, but he, like Rosallion, is expected to improve for their seasonal reappearance.

Sardinian Warrior joined stablemate Lead Artist in the field, following a narrow defeat to Sosie in the Prix Ganay. Docklands was beaten half-a-length by Sardinian Warrior in the Queen Anne Trial here in April and last year's runner-up takes his chance once again.

Lake Forest has been talked up as a potential challenger in this year's Royal Ascot opener. However, I'm struggling to see why a horse who has never raced over eight furlongs will topple four proven Group One performers over a mile.

Diego Velazquez heads to the Royal meeting fresh, having been withdrawn from the stalls on his return to the track at Leopardstown. Quddwah is a course-and-distance winner, but all of his best form has come on softer ground.

Carl Spackler is a multiple Group One winner on US soil and makes his British debut here, before heading to Australia, where he'll represent new connections. The field is completed by Alice Haynes' Cairo who, on all known form, has plenty to find.

2025 Queen Anne Stakes Tips

I'm not going to take the Lockinge Stakes form literally, as I fancy the third and fourth for that Group One have more scope for improvement than Lead Artist or Dancing Gemini. Notable Speech is a Classic winner who should love the track at Royal Ascot, but did completely bomb out when finishing seventh of eight in last year's St James's Palace Stakes.

ROSALLION came out on top that day, running up to an RPR of 124 when beating Henry Longfellow by a neck. Richard Hannon's star finished second to a race-fit Notable Speech on his reappearance in last year's 2000 Guineas, and improved plenty to win the Irish version of that Classic, before producing a career-best performance at the Royal Meeting.

Going into the Lockinge, Hannon said openly that there was every chance Rosallion would need the outing. Sean Levey's mount was fairly strong in the market during the build-up, but travelled keen in the early stages and couldn't pick up when asked for an effort, trailing across the line back in third place.

Hannon has been much more bullish ahead of Royal Ascot, stating that Rosallion was "a good bit fitter now, and he will improve a lot for his first run". I think he's the best horse in this excellent race.

Verdict

2025 Queen Anne Stakes

Obviously, the draw is all-important on the straight course at Ascot and, if Rosallion is handed a tough stall, I might have an each-way punt on Docklands - who always seems to produce his best at this track. However, barring a draw of calamitous proportions, Richard Hannon's star will be my selection in the opener on day one.