Royal Ascot: Modern Games leads field for Queen Anne Stakes

The collection of Grade 1 and Group 1 wins comprises two Breeders’ Cup races, a Grade 1 race in Canada, and Group 1 races in Britain and France.

The 4-year-old colt Modern Games can seemingly win anywhere.

On Tuesday, Modern Games will be a short price to win one of Britain’s greatest prizes for turf milers – the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the five-day Royal Ascot meeting west of London.

The $961,275 Queen Anne Stakes is the first race of the week, and one of the most prestigious. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, a race Modern Games won at Keeneland last November.

Modern Games has been on the go in a brief campaign this year. He was second in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland in April, and followed with a win in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse west of London last month.

The Queen Anne Stakes will not be an easy race for Modern Games, a 4-year-old colt who has won 8 of 15 starts. As of Sunday, Modern Games was the 7-4 joint favorite with the 4-year-old filly Inspiral.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Inspiral won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile at Royal Ascot last June, but was sixth of nine in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot last October in her final start of 2022.

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The condition of the Ascot turf course may favor Inspiral, who won two Group 1 races earlier in her career on good-to-soft turf. Significant rain is forecast for the London area on Tuesday. The condition of the Ascot turf is a point of concern for Appleby, who is based in Newmarket, north of London.

“Modern Games came out of the Lockinge Stakes in good form and we have been delighted with his preparation,” Appleby said in a recent article on Godolphin’s website.

“Provided there is not a deluge of rain, he looks the one to beat again.”

The Queen Anne Stakes, run on a straightaway course, drew a field of 12 that includes Chindit, who was second in the Lockinge Stakes, and Native Trail, the winner of the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas in 2022 for Godolphin and Appleby.

Inspiral will be ridden by the legendary Frankie Dettori, who is riding his final Royal Ascot meeting before a scheduled retirement in November. Dettori is the all-time leading rider at Royal Ascot with 77 wins, four more than Ryan Moore, who is favored to be leading rider this week.

Dettori is booked to ride early favorite Chaldean in Tuesday’s Group 1 St. James’s Palace Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile. Trained by Andrew Balding, Chaldean won the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6 for his fifth career win in seven starts.

Chaldean, 2-1 as of Sunday, has won on good and soft turf in his brief career.

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The $769,000 St. James’s Palace Stakes drew a strong field. Moore rides the improving Paddington for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has won a record eight runnings of the St. James’s Palace Stakes. Paddington won his Group 1 debut by two lengths in the Irish 2000 Guineas at a mile at the Curragh on May 27.

One of the most intense races of the week is Tuesday’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes for sprinters at five furlongs on a straightaway course.

Highfield Princess, fourth in the BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland last November, and second in the Group 2 Duke of York Stakes at York Racecourse in Britain in her only start this year, was the 5-2 favorite as of Sunday in a field of 19.

Trained by John Quinn, the 6-year-old Highfield Princess won three consecutive Group 1 sprints in Britain, France and Ireland against males last summer.

Her biggest threat in the $804,200 King’s Stand Stakes is Coolangatta, the winner of two Group 1 races at five furlongs in Melbourne, Australia, since last September. Coolangatta, who is quick enough to lead, will be ridden by James McDonald, who leads Australian riders in earnings this season.

American trainer Wesley Ward, who has won 12 races at Royal Ascot in his career, runs the outsider Twilight Gleaming, the winner of the Giant’s Causeway Stakes for fillies and mares at 5 ½ furlongs at Keeneland in April in her only start this year.

The 4-year-old Twilight Gleaming, who will be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr., for Stonestreet Stables, has Ascot experience. The filly was second in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for 2-year-old fillies in 2021.

The winner of the King’s Stand Stakes receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

The seven-race program at Royal Ascot begins at 9:30 a.m. Eastern or 6:30 a.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

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