Royal Ascot Day 1 Preview
Credit: ASCOT, ENGLAND - JUNE 22: Desert Hero ridden by Tom Marquand with owners HM the King and HM The Queen after The King George V Stakes during day three of Royal Ascot 2023 at Ascot Racecourse on June 22, 2023 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Welcome to Day 1 of the Royal Ascot meeting, the most prestigious five days on the British racing calendar. Renowned for its world-class quality, international flair, and iconic Group 1 contests.
The Day 1 card features a trio of magnificent Group 1 highlights. The opening Queen Anne Stakes sees Godolphin heavyweights Notable Speech and Opera Ballo go toe-to-toe over the historic mile. Australia launches a formidable dual assault on the King Charles III Stakes, represented by globe-trotting queen Asfoora and first-up specialist Overpass. However, the undisputed feature of the afternoon is the St James’s Palace Stakes, where classic colts Bow Echo and Gstaad renew their intense rivalry.
Race 1: Queen Anne Stakes (Group 1)
Distance: 1 mile (1,609m) | Conditions: 4yo+ | Post Time: 11:30pm AEST
To kick off the meeting, racing fans are treated to a mouth-watering clash between Godolphin stars Notable Speech and Opera Ballo. Notable Speech has compiled an exceptional record of eight wins from 16 career starts, five of which have come at Group 1 level, including the 2000 Guineas, the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and most recently, a commanding victory in the Lockinge Stakes. He is a thoroughly deserving favourite, boasting proven Group 1 miler credentials across the globe. The only minor blemish on an otherwise stellar profile is his record over this specific course. As a three-year-old, he suffered his first career defeat in the St James’s Palace Stakes, and he could only manage fourth in this race last year.
His four-year-old stablemate, Opera Ballo, is a talent on the rise, having won seven of his nine career outings. While his sole Group 1 triumph came in the Jebel Hatta at Meydan, he enters this assignment on the back of a three-race winning streak. He accounted for rival Zeus Olympios in Dubai, but this represents a steep rise in class; Opera Ballo has yet to face the same top-echelon milers that Notable Speech has routinely dispatched.
Outside of the boys in blue, Docklands looks to recapture the magic of his performance over this course and distance last year, when he defeated a star-studded field that included Notable Speech, Rosallion, Lead Artist, and Lake Forest. Docklands has been campaigning creditably in elite assignments across Japan and Hong Kong. His two brave efforts in Hong Kong, finishing fourth to Voyage Bubble in the Hong Kong Mile and a close third to My Wish in the Champions Mile, suggest he remains a potent threat on the global stage.
Selections:
#5 More Thunder
#6 Notable Speech
#3 Docklands
#7 Opera Ballo
Credit: NEWBURY, ENGLAND - MAY 16: William Buick riding Notable Speech (blue) win The Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on May 16, 2026 in Newbury, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Race 3: King Charles III Stakes (Group 1)
Distance: 5 furlongs (1,005m) | Conditions: 3yo+ | Post Time: 12:40am AEST
Australia boasts a proud and successful history in this lightning-fast sprint, having captured the prize on six occasions. The trailblazing Choisir started the revolution in 2003, while Asfoora became the latest Aussie to conquer the royal turf in 2024. The brilliant mare returns for her third consecutive appearance in the race, prepared by Ballarat-based trainer Henry Dwyer, Asfoora has not raced in her homeland since 2025. This extended European stay was a calculated masterstroke, given her immense proficiency on undulating straight tracks abroad, keeping her in the Northern Hemisphere yielded tremendous rewards. Last season, she was officially crowned Europe’s Champion Sprinter following spectacular victories in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp in France.
Joining Asfoora this year is the Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass. A highly decorated sprinter down under, Overpass boasts an enviable CV highlighted by two victories in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes and back-to-back triumphs in the lucrative Quokka slot race. Furthermore, his narrow defeat, finishing within two lengths of world-class sprinter Ka Ying Rising in the 2025 Everest, is a piece of form few sprinters anywhere in the world can match. His only appearance this preparation yielded a competitive fourth behind Joliestar in the TJ Smith Stakes. He is universally renowned in Australia as a lethal 'fresh' horse who thrives when his runs are heavily spaced. Running first-up off a spell on Tuesday night, he is primed to explode.
The primary dangers to the Australian contingent lie in American Affair, the defending champion who captured this crown twelve months ago; Night Raider, who remains unbeaten in two starts this campaign over the five-furlong trip and the French-trained filly Rayevka, a notable 1,000-metre specialist with blistering natural speed.
Selections:
#9 Overpass
#26 Mission Central
#2 American Affair
#13 Asfoora
Credit: ASCOT, ENGLAND - JUNE 18: Oisin Murphy riding Asfoora on his way to winning the King Charles III Stakes during Royal Ascot 2024 at Ascot Racecourse on June 18, 2024 in Ascot, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Race 4: St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1)
Distance: 7 furlongs 213 yards (1,603m) | Conditions: 3yo colts | Post Time: 1:20am AEST
The undisputed centrepiece of the opening day is the St James’s Palace Stakes, where classic titans Bow Echo and Gstaad ignite a highly anticipated rematch of their epic battle in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. On that occasion, it was Bow Echo who reigned supreme, producing a devastating turn of foot from off the pace to overpower Gstaad in the dying strides. The elite duo drew an incredible eight lengths clear of the third-placed horse, demonstrating that they operate on a completely different planet to their peers.
Bow Echo has been wrapped in cotton wool since that classic triumph, arriving here fresh. Conversely, Gstaad has raced on and dominantly captured the Irish 2000 Guineas. These are unequivocally the two standout three-year-olds of their generation. Bow Echo puts his flawless four-from-four record on the line against Gstaad, a model of consistency with four wins and four seconds from eight starts. Barring the extraordinary, it looks a virtual impossibility for the winner to come from outside this pair. It promises to be an enthralling tactical chess match, with Bow Echo heading the market as an odds-on favourite and Gstaad fiercely hunting redemption.
Selections:
#2 Gstaad
#1 Bow Echo
#5 Puerto Rico
#6 Talk of New York
One to Watch: The Coventry Stakes (Group 2)
Outside of the elite Group 1 treble, the race capturing the imagination of bloodstock experts is the Group 2 Coventry Stakes for the juvenile division, a race won by none other than Gstaad last year. Master trainer Aidan O’Brien holds a powerful hand, saddling the two market leaders, Confucius and Great Barrier Reef. Confucius will have the assistance of stable jockey and multi-champion Ryan Moore, while the unbeaten Great Barrier Reef aims to protect his pristine record with Wayne Lordan booked for the ride.
