A recently departed American faces a tall task Tuesday in the first race of the Royal Ascot meeting, where five other Americans are expected to participate, none trained by Wesley Ward, who blazed an American trail to Royal Ascot and helped create the widespread domestic interest that now greets the annual five-day stand.
As always, the proceedings begin with the Group 1 Queen Anne, a straight mile that had 11 horses still among the entries before final declarations were to come out Sunday. Barring a setback, Carl Spackler will take his spot in the starting gate, his first appearance since eFive Racing Thoroughbreds sold Carl Spackler to Australian interests last month. Carl Spackler, who overwhelmed rivals making his 2025 debut in the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland, left trainer Chad Brown’s barn in New York in late May. He’s now trained by Ciaron Maher and got in a workout Wednesday morning over the July Course at Newmarket.
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Tepin shipped from America and won the 2016 Queen Anne, but transitioning from flat left-handed racing here to a straight undulating course at Ascot takes a special horse, and this Queen Anne attracted some serious talent. Chief among the expected entrants are the first four finishers from the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes last month at Newbury, where the Lead Artist edged Dancing Gemini by a neck, the top two almost three lengths clear of Rosallion, who won a photo with Notable Speech for third.
Rosallion stands a strong chance of coming out on top in the Queen Anne. The Lockinge marked his first start in 11 months, and 4-year-old Rosallion, understandably sharp after the long absence, might have been too energetic early in the race. He’s 2 for 2 at Ascot, including a victory last summer in the Group 1 St. James’s Palace, an age-restricted mile run around a turn.
While Dancing Gemini already had started twice before the Lockinge and probably has hit his ceiling, Lead Artist probably didn’t gain much deep-race fitness finishing last behind Dancing Gemini in his 4-year-old debut, and he can at least repeat his moderate Newbury upset. Notable Speech, third in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, won the 2000 Guineas two Mays ago but regressed badly at Ascot, finishing seventh in the St. James’s Palace.
John and Thady Gosden train Lead Artist, whose jockey, Colin Keane, became a retained rider for Juddmonte earlier this week. The Gosdens have a sneakier prospective Queen Anne entrant in Sardinian Warrior, who until this spring had raced only on all-weather surfaces. Sardinian Warrior raced May 25 at Longchamp in the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan and held a homestretch lead before settling for second behind Sosie, among France’s best older horses. Cutting back from 1 1/8 miles could boost his chances.
The St. James’s Palace, another Tuesday Group 1, looks to bettors like a one-horse race. A passive ride on Field of Gold probably cost him victory in the 2000 Guineas, and with new jockey Keane in the irons Juddmonte’s Field of Gold left no doubt in the Irish 2000 Guineas, winning well within himself by nearly four lengths. The Ascot course should be good for Tuesday’s racing, and that’s great for Field of Gold.
Henri Matisse, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall, got home by a head last out in the French 2000 Guineas and on Friday was the only other single-digit odds proposition with English bookmakers.
The Australian mare Asfoora returns to England trying to win the Group 1 King Charles III over a straight five furlongs for the second year in a row. She prepped for the King Charles in England a year ago, but this time comes to Ascot after a pair of Australian outings, her seventh-place finish last out coming after Asfoora raced wide around a turn and close to a pace that wound up collapsing.
Starlust, who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November, and Believing, winner of the Al Quoz Sprint on the Dubai World Cup card April 5, are among the prospective runners.
No American 2-year-olds will contest the Group 2 Coventry on Tuesday; Lennilu, Tough Critic, Sandal’s Song, and Bibi Dahl race later in the week. Three-year-old filly Shisospicy, sharp winner of two Kentucky sprints this spring, was expected to be entered in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup on Friday’s card.
◗ Betting on Tuesday’s trio of Group 1s comes through the World Pool, where massive handle reduces the late odds-fluctuations decried in American betting. The World Pool offers win, show, quinella, omni, trifecta, and treble wagers. The omni requires a bettor to select two horses to finish among the top three. The treble is a parlay-style pick three.
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