'The best winner since the race became a Group 1' - Royal Ascot 2022 in review

Royal Ascot got off to a scorching start with Baaeed and Nature Strip producing top-class performances to cement their places as the leading turf horse and leading sprinter in the world.

While the weather took time to come to the boil, the two best figures from Royal Ascot came within the first three races, with Baaeed opening proceedings with another dominant display in the Queen Anne Stakes to improve his Racing Post Rating slightly to 130+.

Although the margin of victory over Real World was less than in the Lockinge, the pair pulled a lot further clear of Chindit than at Newbury and it's fair to think Real World has also improved again. Nudged up to a mark of 124, that's the sort of figure that would fit with an average Queen Anne winner, something Baaeed quite clearly is not.