Billy Loughnane to Ride Opera Ballo in Queen Anne Stakes

billy loughnane will ride Opera Ballo in the Queen Anne Stakes when Royal Ascot opens on Tuesday. Opera Ballo goes into the Group One race as the highest rated runner, and the mount gives Loughnane a place on one of the meeting’s leading contenders on day one.

Opera Ballo and Godolphin

Opera Ballo represents Godolphin in the Queen Anne Stakes and arrives with two notable wins already on the record. He won the Group One Jebel Hatta and later took the Bet365 Mile carrying a penalty, form that puts him at the top of the field on ratings.

That profile leaves Loughnane with a straight task: deliver a clean ride on the horse the race measures against the rest. The Queen Anne is part of the opening day card as Royal Ascot begins its five days of racing, so the horse’s status makes this one of the first high-end races of the week.

Bow Echo and Gstaad

The first-day spotlight is not limited to Opera Ballo. The St James's Palace Stakes is due at 4.20pm, with Bow Echo and Gstaad set to renew their rivalry in a race that has its own pull on the card.

Bow Echo arrives as the 2000 Guineas winner and is four from four, and he was given an official rating of 126 after that success. Gstaad brings Irish Guineas winner status into the same race, giving Tuesday’s early Group One action a second marquee clash alongside the Queen Anne.

For Loughnane, the immediate job is simpler than the wider opening-day picture: put Opera Ballo in the right position against the horse rated best in the race. If he does that, the Royal Ascot week opens with the sort of ride that can set the tone for the rest of the meeting.