Queen Anne Stakes: Runners and Riders

It's day one of Royal Ascot on Tuesday and the opening salvo is brimming with Group 1 action to savour.

The opening Queen Anne Stakes sets the tone as Frankie Dettori looks to launch his farewell to the Royal meeting on a winning note at Ascot.

Here's a look at the contenders in the opening race of Royal Ascot 2023 and a reminder that every race across the five days of the meeting can be watched on the bet365 Sports Live Streaming platform.

What	Queen Anne Stakes
Where	Ascot Racecourse
When	2.30, Tuesday 20th June
How to watch	bet365 Sports Live Streaming, ITV & Sky Sports Racing
Odds	Modern Games 7/4, Inspiral 2/1, Native Trail 6/1, Chindit 12/1, Mutasaabeq 14/1, Light Infantry 20/1

The leading contenders

Modern Games @ 7/4
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: William Buick 

The prolific son of Dubawi has done his winning in all parts of the world, including the UK, France and North America.

He arrives into this on the back of his Lockinge win at Newbury in May, when he held off Chindit in ready fashion with another quartet of these rivals in behind them.

That was his first Group 1 win on British soil and his top connections will be confident he can quickly double his tally in this mouth-watering opener.

Inspiral @ 2/1
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden
Jockey: Frankie Dettori 

This Frankel filly won the Coronation Stakes at this meeting 12 months ago in spell-binding fashion under a superb Frankie Dettori ride and will now bid to get the Italian up and running this year in the best possible fashion.

She had an up and down time of things last season, stunning in the Falmouth at Newmarket before winning the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August and then failing to recover having blown the start in the QEII here on Champions Day.

Goes very well fresh and key player getting weight from the boys.

Native Trail @ 6/1
Trainer: Charlie Appleby
Jockey: James Doyle

Won the Irish 2000 Guineas last season having met with his first defeat when second in the Newmarket version earlier.

Beaten afterwards in top-class races won by the likes of Vadeni and Baaeed, but certainly didn't do a lot wrong.

Disappointingly second behind re-opposing Mutasaabeq when favourite for the bet365 Mile at Newmarket in last month's return to action, but retains a good chance with fitness boosted. Buick prefers Modern Games, however.

Chindit @ 12/1
Trainer: Richard Hannon
Jockey: Pat Dobbs

A course and distance winner this season Chindit also bagged the Group 2 Summer Mile on the round course here last term with Mutasaabeq behind in second spot.

Had Cash in the silver medal spot when scoring here in early May, but a subsequent Lockinge second behind Modern Games - whilst another fine effort - underlined the theory that he's just a smidgen short of being truly top class.

Mutasaabeq @ 14/1
Trainer: Charlie Hills
Jockey: Jim Crowley

Shadwell performer was as good as ever when winning the Joel Stakes and the bet365 Mile at Newmarket either side of a winter shutdown.

Came unstuck afterwards when only fifth in the Lockinge at Newbury, with the front three from that contest all re-opposing now.

Beat six rivals in his Newmarket novice win in 2020, but all wins since then have come against a maximum of five rivals. May struggle to dominate in this field.

The outsiders

The heavyweight duo atop the market hold strong claims but there is depth to this race.

Light Infantry (20/1) is only rated 1lb inferior to the favourite and was second behind Inspiral in France last summer.

David Simcock's charge was just pipped in a Longchamp Group 1 three weeks ago over nine-furlongs having made the running, though an uncontested lead here looks unlikely.

Andrew Balding's Berkshire Shadow (25/1) was a Royal Ascot-winning youngster in 2021 and comes here after a really pleasing third in the Lockinge, while the second Simcock runner Cash (25/1) has work to do on ratings, but was second in Listed fare behind Chindit here in May.

Lusail (33/1) almost caused a massive surprise in the St James's Palace Stakes here last summer and would have claims on that form, albeit Richard Hannon's charge has been beaten by a few of these lately and hasn't won a race since 2021.

Triple Time (33/1) remains more unexposed than a few of these and was a Group 3-winning miler at Haydock in September - one of only two runs in 2022. Kevin Ryan's Frankel colt needs a clear personal-best on his comeback.

Angel Bleu (50/1) boosted confidence with a Listed win at Haydock over 7f last month, but will do very well to oblige here, while Pogo (66/1) is a distinguished winner of multiple group races but is 0-6 at Ascot and faces a mammoth challenge to alter that stat in this elite company.