Royal Ascot 2022: Queen Mary Stakes Stats Guide

Last year’s race

Winner: Quick Suzy

Jockey: G F Carroll

Trainer: G P Cromwell

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners LLC

Age: 2 Weight: 9st 0lbs

Starting Price: 8/1

Season Form Figures: 212

Previous Best: 2nd - Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes (Group 3), Naas (May 2021)

By Paul Jones

Entering the race unbeaten or otherwise is neither here nor there but what is usually crucial is our selection won last time out as has been the case for 18 of the last 21 winners. Up until 2006 it was a case of follow the unbeaten fillies as six on the spin had proven successful but ten of the subsequent 16 winners had tasted defeat earlier in the season. In fact last year’s winner, Quick Suzy, had been beaten in two of her three starts beforehand.

Surprisingly, Aidan O’Brien has never won the Queen Mary. On the other hand Wesley Ward has won it four times and his Twilight Gleaming finished second as favourite last year, his third runner-up in the race after Happy Like A Fool and Kimari. He looks set to be represented by the 9½l winner on debut, Love Reigns. Ward’s last Queen Mary winner was Campanelle and prior to her success his Scat Daddy-sired Acapulco and Lady Aurelia had turned two of the previous five runnings into one-filly races winning with such authority off the back of one previous start. Ward also won it with Jealous Again in 2009.

Of the British stables, the north have fared well with five winners this century, the latest when Raffle Prize was giving Mark Johnston a second winner after Attraction when she was successful three years ago. Tim Easterby, Tom Dascombe and John Quinn have also registered successes.

Of the southern yards, the Hannon stable have won five Queen Mary’s in total and Mick Channon’s record with juveniles at Royal Ascot passes the closest scrutiny and he has won the Queen Mary with Bint Allayl (1998), Queen's Logic (2001) and Flashy Wings (2005) and all three went on to win the Lowther Stakes and end up the season's champion two-year-old filly. In fact, his last 15 runners have produced three winners a second, third, fourth and two fifths.

The Marygate Stakes at York’s Dante Meeting has been the best pointer with Gilded (2006), Ceiling Kitty (2012) and Signora Cabello (at 25/1 in 2019) completing the double. In addition, Langs Lash was runner-up at York in 2008 before winning the Queen Mary plus two more Marygate winners finished second and third in between and Tiggy Wiggy was runner-up in both races. This season’s running was won by the Karl Burke-rained Pillow Talk but he may have an even better filly in Dramatised who was well touted before winning on debut at 4l at the Guineas Meeting.

This 5f sprint is a test for real speedsters so it is with little surprise that sires known for passing on their sprinting genes that have fared much the best. The last 15 winners were sired by stallions with a Sire Index of between 6f and 8f.

At a glance summary:

POSITIVES

Trained by Wesley Ward, Mick Channon or Richard Hannon

Ran well in the Marygate Stakes

NEGATIVES

Beaten last time out

Not sired by a stallion with a Sire Index of between 6f-8f

Trained by Aidan O’Brien