Queen Anne Stakes 2016: Limato worth another chance at a mile

The Queen Anne Stakes is always a high-class and explosive start to Royal Ascot, but it is not always the best betting race, with some truly unopposable favourites in recent times that have included the mighty Frankel, who was sent off at 1/10, and Toronado who was sent off at 4/5 in 2014.

However, this year’s race has a more attractive look to it betting-wise, considering the current favourite – and Timeform top rated – Tepin has a fair bit to prove as she makes the trip over from North America in a bid to do what Animal Kingdom (who was sent off at 5/4 for this race) couldn’t do in 2013.

Strictly on form terms, it is hard to quibble Tepin’s place at the top of the market. She is unbeaten in her last six starts, which include Grade 1 wins in the First Lady Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup Mile, and the Jenny Wiley Stakes, all of which have come at Keenland. In a practical sense, however, the straight mile of Ascot’s galloping course will be much different from Keeneland’s sharp round course, and she is worth taking on at her current price of around 3/1.

Last year’s impressive Tercentenary winner Time Test would be a lively contender for the Queen Anne (was equally effective at a mile when beating Custom Cut in the Joel Stakes at Newmarket last season), but he looks set to run in the Tattersalls Gold Cup on his reappearance over ten furlongs, and also holds entries in the Prince of Wales’s and the Eclipse over that trip, so it remains to be seen whether this will be on his radar.

Belardo won Newbury’s Lockinge Stakes last time, his first win at Group 1 level since he took the 2014 Dewhurst Stakes, but the overall impression that day was that he was seen to optimum advantage, benefiting from the strong pace and the fact that one or two others were perhaps not quite at their best.

Toormore was fourth in the Queen Anne last year and could only manage fifth in the Lockinge this season (second behind Night of Thunder in 2015). He is the type to bounce back quickly but perhaps remains just shy of the level required to win again at Group 1 level.

Instead, the one to take out of the Lockinge could be Limato, who was having his first try at a mile. Limato was speedy enough to finish second behind Muhaarar in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot 2015, but showed his best form of the season over seven furlongs in the Park Stakes at Doncaster in September, which he won by a comfortable three and a quarter lengths. His fourth-placed effort at Newbury on his first start this season was not quite up to that sort of level, and a lack of fitness was as likely an explanation as a lack of stamina on the day.

Limato would be fancied to narrowly get the better of his Lockinge conqueror Belardo if the pair met again at Ascot (assuming it was race fitness rather than the trip that was to blame at Newbury), and at a general price of 12/1, Henry Candy’s star is worth chancing against North American raider Tepin.

Click here to back Limato at 12/1 for the 2016 Queen Anne Stakes