Queen Anne Stakes betting with William Hill

Although usually the traditional curtain-raiser to Royal Ascot, the unique 2020 running order means the Queen Anne Stakes is now the second race on the opening day of the meeting.

It is one of the premier mile races for older horses and is first of two Group 1s on the Tuesday. The Queen Anne Stakes is run over the straight mile (1,609 metres) and is a hugely popular betting contest.

The contest is exclusively for horses that have been kept in training for their four-year-old campaign.

Queen Anne Stakes tips

The Queen Anne Stakes was elevated to Group 1 status in 2003 and very few horses have won the race without having previously scored at the top level. With that in mind, class is often the key factor to take into consideration when studying the Queen Anne Stakes betting.

Top-rated horses have tended to dominate in recent years, but that doesn’t mean surprises can’t happen, as in 2018 when Accidental Agent defied a 33/1 starting price to win an unusually wide-open Queen Anne Stakes, while last year’s winner, Lord Glitters, went off at 14/1.

That success also defied the class angle because it was not only the horse’s first win at Group 1 level, but also a first for both the trainer and jockey.

The roll call for this race is dominated by horses aged four and five – older horses have a poor record. Fillies and mares don’t have a particularly good record in the race either, but Goldikova and Tepin have struck for the fairer sex, while Esoterique was second to Solow in 2015.

This race is normally won by horses whose optimum trip is a mile, but several previous winners have gone on to top-flight glory over 1m2f, not least the great Frankel, who won the Juddmonte International later in the same year he won this race.

Queen Anne Stakes betting trends

When looking at the Queen Anne Stakes betting, bear in mind that favourites have a good record. As well as odds-on shots Frankel and Palace Pier landing the spoils, Toronado went off at 4/5, while Solow and Ribchester have been others to justify their position at the top of the market.

But there can be the odd surprise. We saw that in 2018 when Eve Johnson Houghton’s Accidental Agent (33/1) got the better of 20/1 shot Lord Glitters.

One handy piece of form to look at could be the previous year’s St James’s Palace Stakes. Several winners from that race have gone on to pick up the prize in the Queen Anne, including Canford Cliffs, Frankel, Circus Maximus and Palace Pier.

In 2022, that could make Poetic Flare a contender for this Group 1. He won the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and finished second in the Irish equivalent, before striking in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

In the build-up to Royal Ascot, look out for the latest Queen Anne Stakes betting tips and news at news.williamhill.com.

Queen Anne Stakes ante-post betting pointers

The Lockinge Stakes at Newbury is a key stepping stone for horses to become major contenders for this prestigious event, so much so that winners of that contest have an excellent record in the Queen Anne Stakes.

The best of the Classic generation, notably the pick of the Guineas horses who went on to run well against the older horses later in the campaign, are always likely contenders, often without a prep run.

Given how much of an international flavour the race has nowadays, it’s worth keeping in mind horses who have won or run well in races like the previous year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Tepin won that race at Keeneland in 2015, before taking this prize back over the Atlantic the following summer.

Given this prize is open to four-year-olds and upwards, it’s slightly surprising that no horse has won the race more than once, so be wary of previous winners when working through William Hill’s Queen Anne Stakes odds.

Queen Anne Stakes history and memorable winners

The Queen Anne Stakes has a rich history and an incredible roll call of top-class milers handled by some of the best trainers ever to grace the sport.

The legendary Frankel produced one of his most stunning displays in this race in 2012, spread-eagling what looked a strong field by no less than 11 lengths, one of the biggest ever winning margins.

It was also the 11th successive victory for the Henry Cecil-trained star.

Saeed bin Suroor dominated the race in the late 1990's, winning four successive renewals from 1996 to 1999, including with the great Cape Cross, who went on to sire Derby and Arc heroes Sea The Stars and Golden Horn.

Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes combined to win the race three times between 2009 and 2014 with star milers Paco Boy, Canford Cliffs and Toronado, who was trained by Richard Hannon Jnr.

Surprisingly, no horse has won the race more than once.

Queen Anne Stakes 2021

The 2021 Queen Anne Stakes betting is headed by King Of Change, who is trained by Richard Hannon Jnr who is looking for a second win in the race after Toronado’s victory in 2014.

He was a good winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over course and distance last year and according to his trainer he could be the best miler he’s ever trained.

However, John and Thady Gosden’s Palace Pier was a comfortable winner in 2021, justifying his short odds of 2/7 favourite. At the time, he was the top-rated horse in the world, so a lot was expected from him.

But that’s not the shortest priced winner of the Queen Anne Stakes. In 2012, the undefeated Frankel went off at 1/10 and proved far too good for his rivals, as he won by 11 lengths.

Before the Royal Ascot meeting gets underway, you can check out the latest Queen Anne Stakes odds with our ante-post market.

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