Queen Anne Stakes odds: Docklands bids for rare Royal Ascot repeat

Royal Ascot gets under way on Tuesday afternoon with the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes as the Harry Eustace-trained Docklands goes for a repeat success.

Not since Dean Swift in 1906/07 has there been a repeat winner of the mile contest, but last year's winner takes another tilt at the prize now.

As with 12 months ago, Docklands has a couple of useful efforts on his CV already en route to Royal Ascot, including winning the Listed Doncaster Mile on his reappearance in March, and the six-year-old will once more be partnered by Mark Zahra.

The market is headed by Notable Speech for Charlie Appleby, a convincing winner of last month's Lockinge Stakes at Newbury - the fifth top level success in his career for the globe-trotting Godolphin inmate.

He landed that Newbury Group 1 by two lengths from the William Haggas-trained More Thunder in second spot and they meet again now.

More Thunder was second in the Wokingham Stakes over 6f at this meeting last year and has proved himself in Group-race company since, including winning the Hungerford Stakes at Newbury over 7f in August.

Zeus Olympios for Karl Burke was third at Newbury after making plenty of the running under Clifford Lee, while John & Thady Gosden's Damysus (sixth) and the Charlie Hills-trained Cicero's Gift (seventh) have ground to make up on the front three from that contest a month ago.

William Buick is on Notable Speech, but it's a strong three-pronged challenge for Appleby and Godolphin as the Newmarket handler also saddles First Conquest and Opera Ballo.

Ryan Moore is set to ride outsider First Conquest, a Group 3 winner at Meydan early last year that has done much of his running in Britain at Newmarket.

He's having his first start since December, when he was third behind stablemate Opera Ballo over 1m1f at Meydan.

Buick jumps off last month's bet365 Mile winner in favour of Notable Speech here, leaving Billy Loughnane to take the reins on Opera Ballo at the start of an exciting week for the talented rider.

The field for the Royal Ascot curtain raiser is completed by Ed Walker's Ten Bob Tony, third in the Prix de la Foret over 7f at Longchamp last season and winner of the Group 3 Tattenham Corner Stakes at Epsom over the same trip earlier this month.

Aidan O'Brien last won the Queen Anne in 2020 with Circus Maximus and the Irishman is without an entry this year, as all nine runners for the opening race of the meeting are trained in Britain.

Queen Anne Stakes betting odds

(Odds will display when market is available)

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.