Royal Ascot: Oz raider Spackler to shake up Queen Anne Stakes

RTÉ News​

16-06-2025

North American and Australian horses have undoubtedly helped make Royal Ascot the spectacle it is over the last few years. Now it is almost a case of the best of both worlds with Carl Spackler an attention-grabbing runner in the opening race, the Queen Anne Stakes.
Three times a Grade One winner for Chad Brown in the States, the Lope De Vega Irish-bred five-year-old is now owned by Yulong Investments and with a new trainer in Ciaron Maher, meaning he will be a first Australian runner in a race superstar American mare Tepin won in 2016.
Connections feel they have the right type of horse to be competitive on Tuesday, with William Bourne, Maher's bloodstock manager, saying: "The sample size (of international runners in the Queen Anne) isn't huge, but his times really stacked up and just his temperament and attitude, he's the perfect horse to travel – he's an absolute dude and I think he's going to run a big race.
"He's a very straightforward horse, there's not much to know – what you see is what you get. He's got a great temperament, he's like a kid's pony, he's made it so easy to bring him here, get him into the rhythm and train him. He's definitely made life easy for the boss.
"It's a red-hot race, there's no hiding, you're at Royal Ascot in a Group One so you're under no impression you're going to get an easy field. It is what it is, we think he's a pretty good horse and hopefully he can show up on Tuesday.
"When you speak to English owners and trainers at the Melbourne Cup, the buzz is the whole week and this is very similar – great weather, a lot of people, a lot of hype. It's a very international raceday and world class so just to even be here as a spectator or have a horse here, it's a privilege and to have Yulong entrust us with the horse is just amazing."
Lead Artist, Dancing Gemini, Rosallion and Notable Speech set a high standard for Carl Spackler to aim at, having filled the first four places in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, as does Sardinian Warrior.
John Gosden is responsible for both Lead Artist and Sardinian Warrior, who is coming off a career-best in the Prix d'Ispahan.
Notable Speech won last year's 2000 Guineas and Sussex Stakes and Charlie Appleby expects him to take a good step forward from his Lockinge reappearance.
George Boughey is confident Believing is firing on all cylinders following a "faultless preparation" for the King Charles III Stakes.
After several near-misses at the highest level, the five-year-old finally claimed the Group One win she had long promised in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan in late March and having since kept his powder dry for the Royal meeting, Boughey is anticipating another big effort.
"We've been very happy with her since Meydan and it's very hard not to be positive on her – she's had a faultless preparation," said the Newmarket handler.
"It's quite strange to have a filly of that quality run so consistently to form. I always think you can't count your chickens, but she's fit and ready to go and we'd be very happy with her."
Believing ran twice at Royal Ascot in 2024, finishing a close fourth behind the reopposing Asfoora in the King Charles before occupying the same position in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes Jubilee Stakes four days later.
The five-year-old, who is in foal to Frankel, has again been left in Saturday's six-furlong Group One, but is deemed "unlikely" to line up this time around.
Boughey added: "It (King Charles III Stakes) looks a similar renewal to last year, so hopefully she can give a good account of herself.
"I think because it's such an open race it's attracted a bigger field. We're drawn in one and possibly a little bit away from some of the others, but I spoke to Ryan (Moore) yesterday and we said it makes our decision pretty clear – we know which way we're going and that's in a straight line towards home.
"A stiff five is probably what she wants now, I think a stiff six is possibly too far. That's why the six in Meydan was so tailor-made for her and anything now is a bonus."
The Ed Bethell-trained Regional was second to Asfoora 12 months ago and was beaten just three-quarters of a length by Believing when they last clashed in Dubai.
Karl Burke's talented Night Raider has his first attempt at five furlongs, having been snapped up by the Wathnan Racing operation following what was a promising third at York last month.
Asfoora is fitted with first-time blinkers for the defence of her title, having finished seventh on her most recent appearance in her native Australia.
No trainer has won the Coventry Stakes more than Aidan O'Brien (above) and he sends two unbeaten colts for this year's race in Gstaad and Warsaw.
The Ballydoyle handler has won the premier Royal Ascot juvenile race on 10 occasions and appears to hold an incredibly strong hand yet again.
Gstaad is the choice of Ryan Moore after he triumphed over five furlongs on his debut, beating a stablemate who had finished second in Listed company previously.
"We always though Gstaad was a very nice horse. He obviously won first time when he beat one of our others (True Love) in Navan and we always thought he was a smart colt," said O'Brien.
"Warsaw ran at Navan and he was one of three (from the stable) because we were just trying to get those who could be possible Ascot horses out and he was obviously on that list.
"He won very nicely there and he obviously hasn't done much since but he's in good form. We liked him before he ran and thought he was a possible for Ascot but sometimes when you run them, they are very green and Ascot would come too quick but he wasn't. You just don't know until they run, we did always like him.
"Gstaad won nicely and we always thought he was a quality horse and he won't mind an extra furlong.
"I don't think it was a hard decision for Ryan."
Postmodern has the Wathnan Racing team excited at what might be to come.
A son of Too Darn Hot, he was sent to Yarmouth for his one and only run to date and could hardly have been more impressive in victory.
Wathnan also have Underwriter in the field, but retained rider James Doyle has plumped for the Hamad Al Jehani-trained contender.
"I think James is very happy with his decision to ride Postmodern and we've been very happy with him since Yarmouth," said Wathnan's racing adviser Richard Brown.
"Hamad Al Jehani and his team have done a great job with this colt and he was obviously very impressive that day.
"He's only run once and it's a huge ask, but that is what this race is all about and there's a lot of colts in the same bracket having run once and won well once. We'll find out how good he is, but he's certainly a colt we're all excited about."
Despite Doyle electing to partner Postmodern, Brown warned the Archie Watson-trained Underwriter (James McDonald) should not be overlooked. Like Postmodern, he is unbeaten after his sole racecourse appearance to date.
"He was very impressive at Ayr and has done everything right since," continued Brown.
"He's not to be forgotten, let me tell you, and we're very lucky we start the week with two big bullets to fire."
Charlie Appleby's Military Code has done nothing wrong to date, winning both of his outings, most recently gaining course experience at Ascot when beating Fitzella, who is well fancied for the Albany later in the week.
Appleby told the Godolphin website: "Military Code's form is rock solid and we are looking forward to stepping him up to six furlongs. He has put up two strong performances to date, including one under a penalty, and should hopefully be very competitive at this level."
Los Angeles and Anmaat will meet again in an eagerly anticipated renewal of the Prince of Wales's Stakes on Wednesday – but White Birch is an absentee after final declarations.
The three classy older horses all met in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last month (below) and there was not much between them.
It was hoped another clash would light up day two at Royal Ascot, but the quick conditions have ruled out John Joseph Murphy's White Birch.
George Murphy, assistant to his father, said: "It looks like it's going to be a dry week, so we've decided to give it a swerve.
"We were looking forward to it, but it looks like it's going to be a proper quick ground and we've got put him first."
On the next plan of attack with the top-class grey, he added: "The Eclipse at Sandown will probably be more than likely.
"He's in super form, we're really happy with him."
Andrew Balding's filly See The Fire adds a new layer of interest after being supplemented on the back of a runaway success in York's Middleton Stakes.
John and Thady Gosden's Ombudsman has only lost once in his career and steps into Group One company for the first time while Francis-Henri Graffard's Map Of Stars was only beaten a neck by the high-class Sosie in the Prix Ganay.
Certain Lad, Continuous, Facteur Cheval and Royal Champion complete a field of nine.
A field of 25 have been declared for the opening Queen Mary, headed by Karl Burke's Zelaina after her impressive Nottingham debut.
Burke is looking for a third win in four years in the Group Two having won with Dramatised in 2022 and Leovanni last year for the same Wathnan ownership as Zelaina.
Lennilu adds American interest for trainer Patrick Biancone while Spicy Marg will have her followers based on her impressive debut success at Newmarket.
Burke also holds leading claims in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes with Fallen Angel, winner of the Irish 1000 Guineas last season.
She is among eight fillies that also includes Roger Varian's Elmalka, successful in the Newmarket equivalent last year.
Cinderella's Dream, Crimson Advocate and Paddy Twomey's One Look also run.
A total of 11 go to post for the Queen's Vase, won by this year's Gold Cup favourite Illinois last year.
Aidan O'Brien runs two, Scandinavia and Shackleton, while Twomey's unbeaten Carmers has also been declared.
One of the leading ante-post fancies, Ralph Beckett's Amiloc, does not run but he also has the option of the King Edward VII later in the week.
Graffard's Asmarani will attempt to become the first French-trained winner of the race since Andre Fabre's Infrasonic in 1993.
A maximum field has been declared for the Royal Hunt Cup with the list headed by Charlie Appleby's Arabian Light.