Trainer Charlie Appleby had to wait until the final day of the meeting last year to end his Royal Ascot dry spell, but he holds the aces in this year's meet opener, the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), as he bids to get straight on the scoreboard in 2026.
The trainer is a 16-time winner at the royal meeting, but Rebel's Romance's success in the Hardwicke Stakes (G2) 12 months ago was the trainer first at the meet in three years. He is Appleby's sole winner from 36 Royal Ascot runners since Naval Crown took the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1).
Godolphin's main trainer has had two group 1 wins in 2026, but he had a three-week spell in April and May without a winner and had no runners at the Derby festival. It means success at Royal Ascot has added significance this year, and Appleby plays his best hand in the meeting's opener, the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), with leading contenders Notable Speech and Opera Ballo among his three in the race for older runners going a straight mile.
Last year's Eclipse Award champion turf male off his victory in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar, Notable Speech was back to his best in the Lockinge Stakes (G2) at Newbury last month. But he has been beaten twice at Ascot, including when fourth in the Queen Anne last year. That followed a disappointing season opener when he was off the board in the Mile Stakes (G1T) April 10 at Keeneland.
Appleby said: "People have a question mark against him at Ascot, but I think on both occasions we did not have the rub of the green you need at this level. It looks as though conditions will be in his favor and, if he can put the Ascot hoodoo behind him, he's there to take all the beating.
"He's in great order. He went into the Lockinge after a frustrating run in the U.S., so there hasn't been a massive amount of improvement since Newbury, but he's as good as he's ever been."
The Queen Anne, scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. ET), is a Breeders' Cup Challenge race, awarding a fees-paid "Win & You're In" berth to the Mile (G1T).
Opera Ballo is the trainer's other group 1 winner this year. He took the Jebel Hatta (G1) in January before a fine success in Sandown's Mile (G2) in April.
"The straight mile will be more of a challenge compared to Sandown and Meydan, although he's done very well mentally and physically since his last start," Appleby said. "He was very impressive when making the running at Sandown, and it will be up to [jockey Billy Loughnane] to see what sort of horse he has underneath him, but hopefully he can take a lead this time."
Appleby's three-strong team also includes First Conquest, with Ryan Moore booked to ride. Moore has had six winners from 38 rides for the trainer.
