The Lockinge Stakes is the first Group 1 contest of the season for horses aged four years or older and is run over the straight mile at Newbury.
Our top-tipsters, Alan Kelly and Ed Quigley, have cast their expert-eyes over this year’s race - check out their thoughts and free Lockinge tips below.
Lockinge Stakes Tips
This year’s Lockinge Stakes is shaping up to be an exciting renewal with the French-trained Big Rock, the highest-rated miler in 2023, taking on the six-times Group 1 winner, Inspiral.
The two horses clashed in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville in August, and it was the John and Thady Gosden-trained Inspiral who came out on top, winning by a length and a quarter.
Alan Kelly - Inspiral
The ground is likely to decide the outcome of the day’s feature race, the two standout performers being French raider Big Rock and John & Thady Gosden’s multiple Group 1 winning mare INSPIRAL.
While the former is at his best racing on soft or heavy going, the latter handles anything from good to soft to good to firm.
In fact, the daughter of Frankel proved far too good for Big Rock when the pair finished first and second respectively in Deauville’s Jacques le Marois (good to soft) last August.
The ground at the Berkshire racecourse is currently described as being on the soft side of good, conditions which should be fine for Kieran Shoemark’s mount.
Should the ground turn softer, Inspiral is likely to head straight to Royal Ascot for the Queen Anne Stakes on the first day.
Those looking for an each-way alternative to the big two could do worse than Kevin Ryan’s 40/1 chance Hi Royal, runner-up in last year’s Qipco 2000 Guineas and the mount of Ryan Moore.
Ed Quigley - Poker Face (Each-Way)
There is a bit of uncertainty as to who is going to make the gig in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, more specifically with forecast rain cast a shadow of doubt as to whether the Cheveley Park star will take her place in the field.
Big Rock is popular, but the antepost look does have a muddled look to it.
POKER FACE has been green lighted for this assignment, and in some ways has been ‘reinvented’ back at 1m, after failing to really make a splash in some big 10f contests.
Juice in the ground over 1m appears to really be his forte, and he has excelled in recent times in those particular set of circumstances.
He shaped really nicely on his comeback run in the Group 2 over 1m at Sandown recently when finishing second, and that run can be upgraded as connections suggested he would strip a lot fitter for his outing, the ground was probably on the quick side for him, and he was trying to concede 3lbs.
If the forecast rain does arrive, it will be music to the ears of the Crisford team, and they have confirmed that he will take his chance in the line-up.
James Doyle gets on well with the five-year-old who looks rock solid from, and from an each-way perspective looks to be a major player here. I like his chances...come on the rain!
When & Where is the Lockinge Stakes?
The 2024 Lockinge Stakes will take place on Saturday, May 18, at Newbury Racecourse.
Run over the straight mile, the race is due off at 3:35pm and will be shown live on ITV Racing.
Confirmed Runners
Audience (Robert Havlin)
Big Rock (Aurelien Lemaitre)
Charyn (Silvestre De Sousa)
Dear My Friend (Joe Fanning)
Flight Plan (Daniel Tudhope)
Hi Royal (Ryan Moore)
Poker Face (James Doyle)
Real World (Oisin Murphy)
Royal Scotsman (Jamie Spencer)
Witch Hunter (Sean Levey)
Inspiral (Kieran Shoemark)
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