The curtain-raiser to Royal Ascot 2025, the Queen Anne Stakes, sets the tone for the week in thrilling fashion—pitting the best older milers against one another on the famous straight mile.
A Group 1 steeped in history, it has been won by some of the greats of the modern era, from the legendary Frankel, to Palace Pier and Baaeed.
As the Flat season gathers momentum, the Royal Ascot tips are beginning to take shape, with several standout performers already staking their claim.
Here’s a look at the early favourites for this year’s Queen Anne Stakes and what makes them leading contenders for the opening-day crown.
Dancing Gemini – 3/1
Some horses come on with age, and Dancing Gemini certainly appears to be that type on the basis of his form in the early parts of this season.
Roger Teal’s former Derby contender failed to make much of an impression as a three-year-old, including finishing sixth of 16 runners at Epsom and last in the Eclipse at Sandown.
He made the perfect start to the campaign, winning the Doncaster Mile readily in March before stepping up in class and winning the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown next time out.
The four-year-old was finally headed in the aforementioned Lockinge when losing by a neck to the well-backed Lead Artist.
Not many pundits or punters alike would have predicted Dancing Gemini to be a Group 1 contender again this year, but he’s proven himself considerably in the opening months.
Rosallion – 7/2
Rosallion had a fantastic start to last season for Richard Hannon, kicking off the campaign with a remarkable second to Notable Speech in the 2000 Guineas on his reappearance at Newmarket.
He went on to beat his stablemate Haatem by a head in a thrilling finish to the Irish version of the Classic at the Curragh, and followed up when scoring in the St. James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
However, an infection ruled Rosallion out of the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood as he looked to win his third Group 1 in a row, and he was subsequently sidelined for the rest of the season.
The Sheikh Mohammed Obaid-owned horse was third on his reappearance in the Lockinge at Newbury, but perhaps needed that run, and that could set him up nicely to reverse the form.
Notable Speech – 5/1
Notable Speech had a season of mixed fortune last year. Winning three times in a row on the all-weather at Kempton failed to convince everybody he was 2000 Guineas standard.
However, the Godolphin horse caused an almighty upset at HQ when winning convincingly from 16/1 under William Buick for Charlie Appleby.
He was seventh at Ascot next time in the St. James’s Palace Stakes with no real explanation for the sudden drop in form, but bounced back in the Sussex Stakes in Rosallion’s absence.
A lacklustre fifth in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp followed before Notable Speech rounded off the busy campaign with a third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar.
He was fourth in the Lockinge, as less than three lengths separated the four horses mentioned in this article, and who knows who will come on the best for the runs?
Lead Artist – 6/1
Lead Artist caught almost everybody off guard in the Lockinge Stakes, but the market was not to be ignored.
The John and Thady Gosden-trained horse was smashed into 17/2 from as far out as 25/1 before the off.
A consistent performer at three, the Juddmonte horse won two Group 3s and placed in his other three runs—including coming second in the valuable Bahrain International Trophy in November.
There was no explanation for his distant last in the bet365 Mile at Sandown on reappearance, where he was 13 lengths behind winner Dancing Gemini, but he bounced back emphatically.
