Opera Ballo Can Crown Appleby's Royal Ascot Week
Unbeaten in his last two, the form horse stands out in a muddling Queen Anne field
The Queen Anne Stakes opens Royal Ascot and it ought to be the season's first great mile occasion. This year's renewal, I'll be honest with you, is not a vintage one. The field of nine is priced collectively as unpriced — markets not yet fully formed — but the form book is speaking clearly enough if you're willing to listen. We have a spread of SR figures running from a deeply worrying 95 to a modest 117, and in a Group 1 that routinely demands 150-plus to be competitive, that tells its own story. This is a race that, on paper, a smart miler who's been building momentum could seize by the scruff of the neck.
Opera Ballo is that horse. Charlie Appleby's four-year-old carries form figures of 121-11 — two wins on the spin coming into today — and at SR 117 he's the top-rated runner in this field. Yes, 117 is workmanlike by Group 1 standards, but when the whole field is workmanlike, the horse at the head of the ratings with the freshest winning form becomes your selection. Billy Loughnane takes the ride for Godolphin, and Appleby's operation knows exactly how to prime a miler for this opening contest. Opera Ballo wins this.
The Shape of the Race
With all nine runners carrying 9-2 and no obvious confirmed front-runner dominating the market, the pace map is genuinely open. I'd expect More Thunder, whose form figures include early-position performances, to press forward alongside Cicero's Gift, whose profile suggests he'll be ridden prominently. Notable Speech, with William Buick in the saddle, will likely be held up just off the pace — Buick rarely goes too soon. Opera Ballo, with Loughnane aboard, will track midfield and come through late. A genuine gallop set by More Thunder suits the closers, and that shapes things beautifully for Opera Ballo's finishing kick.
The Storylines
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Appleby's unbeaten momentum horse Opera Ballo's 121-11 sequence shows back-to-back wins and Appleby's Godolphin operation is firing at Group level this early-summer stretch.
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Loughnane's big-race confidence Billy Loughnane rode Opera Ballo in both recent wins, a retained booking at Group 1 level that signals Appleby's stable confidence is absolute.
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Field SR ceiling dangerously low No runner exceeds SR 117 in this Queen Anne, making Opera Ballo the standout by rating in an unusually weak Group 1 renewal.
How it Finishes
LLaMa’s predicted 1-2-3-4 — with the actual result tagged on.
Opera Ballo
SR 117 tops the field, back-to-back wins, retained Loughnane booking, and Appleby's Group 1 preparation record at Ascot make this the clearest call in the race.
More Thunder
SR 114 is second-best in the field and the 2114-2 form shows consistency; Haggas knows how to place a miler and Marquand will ensure he runs his race.
Docklands
Form of 494-13 shows a win and placed finish on the bounce; Harry Eustace's improver may lack SR 101 class here but the recent upward trajectory earns third.
Notable Speech
SR 111 and William Buick's tactical nous give Notable Speech an each-way shout, though the 211-41 form includes too many backward steps for a placing guarantee.
I'm taking Opera Ballo to win. In a field where the collective ceiling is SR 117 and no horse is running away with the market, you back the form horse who is arriving on the back of consecutive victories with his retained jockey in the saddle for a yard that treats Royal Ascot like a championship event. The conviction here is medium — not high, because the SR figures across the board are modest for a Group 1 and a well-priced improver could always spring a surprise — but I'm not hedging. Opera Ballo wins, Loughnane delivers, and Appleby opens the week in style. Two units win.