Queen Anne Stakes Tips: Notable Speech can silence the layers

A select field of nine are set to go to post in the opening contest at Royal Ascot, with the Queen Anne Stakes ready to deliver a high-class start to British racing's showpiece Flat event.

It has been a low-key season for trainer Charlie Appleby so far, but his brilliant Notable Speech looks set to land the Group 1 prize. Read on for my Queen Anne Stakes Tips.

Notable Speech @ 15/8

The Queen Anne Stakes delivers a blockbuster start to Royal Ascot on Tuesday and Notable Speech can prove the toast of punters in the opening contest on the card.

Appleby's charge was beaten into fourth by Docklands, who reopposes, in this race 12 months ago, but just about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong on that day.

The five-year-old was far too keen, short of room and jockey William Buick had to take evasive action to get a clear run in the Queen Anne last year.

On top of those inconveniences, Buick also dropped his whip and Notable Speech was beaten by two-and-a-quarter lengths into fourth.

It's worth remembering that the Godolphin-owned runner was sent off the 85/40 favourite for this race last year and that followed another defeat when too keen in the Lockinge at Newbury.

This time around, Notable Speech arrives at Ascot after putting in a career-best performance to win the Group 1 Lockinge to blast clear of his rivals and score impressively.

It really should be four wins on the bounce for the five-year-old, who won Rogers Woodbine Mile Stakes in Canada and the Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar before being locked up and not getting a clear run in the Grade 1 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes at Keeneland.

Notable Speech is at the top of his game at present and Appleby's poor record at Ascot can be disregarded with a horse operating at the level of the son of Dubawi.

A slowly run race, which causes Notable Speech to be keen, is a legitimate concern for the five-year-old, but he appears to have matured this season and the presence of pace-pushing stablemate Opera Ballo should ensure the contest delivers a suitable tempo.

Cicero's Gift each-way @ 40/1

More Thunder, Zeus Olympios, Damysus and Cicero's Gift also reappear in this race following the Lockinge at Newbury and those rivals have plenty of ground to make up on the impressive winner.

The 40/1 about Cicero's is a gift

If one horse was to close the gap on Notable Speech it could be Cicero's Gift.

Clearly, Charlie Hills' hope would prefer softer ground, but on the flip side, there is 40/1 available about a horse which won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot in October.

The six-year-old shaped better than his finishing position suggests in both the Sandown Mile and the Lockinge at Newbury last time out and, while Autumn targets on softer ground may be the ultimate aim of connections, there is enough in the price to chance a big run in the Queen Anne.

The ground was officially described as good on Champions Day at Ascot last year, which isn't miles away from Tuesday's forecast conditions and Cicero's Gift can outrun huge odds.

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