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We kick off the Royal Meeting with the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
Frankel shone brightest with his demolition in 2012. Nobody will run that well in the 2021 Queen Anne Stakes (1609m) at Royal Ascot on Tuesday.
2021 QUEEN ANNE STAKES - RACE HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
The Queen Anne Stakes is a Group 1 race run under Weight For Age conditions for four year olds and older at Royal Ascot conducted by the Ascot Racecourse.
The Queen Anne is run over one straight mile. It was first run in 1840 and was won by Flambeau.
The Queen Anne is the traditional start to the Ascot Carnival, commemorating the monarch who established racing at Ascot.
It was in the early summer of 1711, while being driven in a carriage from Windsor Castle, that Queen Anne decided that Ascot Heath would be a good place to establish a race course. A few weeks later, on August 11, 1711, the Royal Meeting was founded.
Four horses have won two Queen Annes – Flambeau, Toastmaster, Worcester and Dean Swift.
The 2005 running took place at York.
Sir Gordon Richards and Frankie Dettori have six wins as leading rider while Saeed bin Suroor has the most wins as trainer with seven.
Haradasun scored for Coolmore after arriving from his Australian base where he won races like the Doncaster Mile and George Ryder Stakes.
Recent runnings have been memorable. Frankel kicked off one of the best ever Royal Ascot festivals with an astonishing win in 2012. As Black Caviar arrived in England to show the world some Antipodean class, you feel Frankel's connections said 'hang on a minute - we're kings in this palace'.
Sitting not far off them, he tracked up then two furlongs out the power went on and the margin grew. A top horse like Excelebration was simply left breathless as was the entire crowd when Frankel had a small manner of 11 lengths to spare at the post. EXTRAORDINARY!!
The 2013 Queen Anne saw a renewal of lesser quality but one not less hyped as it was the first time since the 1930s that a Kentucky Derby winner ran at the Royal Meeting. Animal Kingdom was expected to win after his Dubai World Cup triumph but several factor before and during the race contributed to his downfall.
It was left to Coolmore's Declaration Of War to burst through the pack late and rebound from his disappointing Lockinge Stakes run when a well backed favourite. He proved he has plenty of talent when held up and unleashing.
2014 saw Toronado show his class. He had been beaten a nose in the St James's Palace Stakes the previous year but was not going to take any chances. He got back but had good sight of the leaders and roared over the top of an international field to win with some flair.
There was class again on show in 2015 as the French unleashed the grey Solow on Ascot. Much like stable companion Goldikova, he was too good for rivals.
International victories were back in 2016 as Tepin strode across the waters from America to win and continue her unbeaten start to the season. She sat handy and defeated a fair field as did Ribchester in 2017.
In what was a real upset race, Accidental Agent easily provided the biggest win of his career in taking the 2018 Queen Anne at 33-1. One year on we saw another set of roughies as Lord Glitters got his redemption by winning at 14-1 from two 20-1 shots.
Circus Maximus dropped back from the Derby to win the St James's Palace in 2019 and 12 months on he'd win the Queen Anne in the same carnival.
The Queen Anne Stakes was worth £400,000 in 2021.
Notable winners of the Queen Anne Stakes include Circus Maximus (2020), Ribchester (2017), Tepin (2016), Toronado (2014), Frankel (2012), Goldikova (2010), Paco Boy (2009), Haradasun (2008), Cape Cross (1999), Barathea (1994), Warning (1989), Rousillon (1985), Dean Swift (1906/1907), Worcester (1895/1896), Toastmaster (1885/1886) and Flambeau (1840/1841).
The 2020 Queen Anne Stakes was won by Circus Maximus from Terebellum and Marie's Diamond.
