It’s Lockinge Day at Newbury on Saturday with the Group 1 feature race taking place over the straight mile.
It’s a stacked card with supporting races that include the Aston Park Stakes, a Group 3 over 1m4f and the Carnarvon Stakes, a Listed race over a straight six furlongs.
Here, Colm Doyle takes you through his best three bets on the card including an each-way pick at decent odds.
Aston Park Stakes
The opening race of Newbury’s card is the Group 3 Aston Park Stakes at 1.50pm and it’s a race that Newmarket trainer William Haggas has a strong recent record in, winning two of the last three runnings with Ilaraab (2022) and Al Aasy (2021).
It looks like a strong race this year but Haggas’s Desert Hero might take some beating. The King’s son of Sea The Stars doesn’t have to carry a penalty for a Group 3 success as a three-year-old at the Goodwood Festival last year and he ran a belter in defeat at Doncaster at the end of the campaign despite sweating up in the preliminaries.
He showed he retained all that ability when returning from a gelding procedure last month, just failing to reel in Okeechobee in the Gordon Richard Stakes at Sandown in Group 3 company.
It’s a race in which four-year-olds have a good record, winning four of the last six runnings, and this one sets a rock-solid standard for his rivals to aim at.
Another four-year-old, Salt Bay, could be his biggest danger if he continues on his upward trajectory.
Carnarvon Stakes
Shaquille started his winning sequence in this event last year and it’s a race that has thrown up some smart sprinters over the years.
Adaay In Devon could be the one to back this time around. He’s already had four starts this season so he’ll be fully fit for this while some of his rivals may not. He ran a fine race in defeat when runner-up in Group 3 company at Ascot last time.
He should enjoy the likely strong pace and Silvestre De Sousa retains the ride.
Lockinge Stakes
There’s plenty of early pace in the field for this year's Lockinge and while Big Rock could take some pegging back, there’s a slight concern about his fitness on his reappearance.
Preference is for Charyn, who should relish the strong pace and Roger Varian’s son of Dark Angel seems to be progressing at a good rate.
He made easy work of a Listed race on his return before following up in a Group 2 over this trip at Sandown last month.
Unlike the others towards the head of the market, he doesn’t lack a recent run. The ground should be ideal for him and he should go well on his first try at Group 1 level.
