Next weekend's racing highlight is Newbury's Group 1 Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes.
Eight of the past 10 winners of the Lockinge Stakes have been four year olds and only one of the past 10 winners has been a mare.
Favourite Inspiral will be hoping to buck both those trends on Saturday as she bids to win a fourth Group 1 in a row and a seventh in total.
In the way of last year's Breeders' Cup winner is 2023 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Big Rock who, as a four year old gelding, has the trends on his side.
Lockinge Stakes Date
The 2024 Lockinge Stakes will be run on Saturday 18th May at 3.35pm at Newbury racecourse. The Group 1 contest is scheduled to be broadcast live on ITV.
Lockinge Stakes Odds
| Lockinge Stakes Runners | Best Odds | Worst Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Inspiral | 7/4 | 11/8 |
| Big Rock | 3/1 | 2/1 |
| Charyn | 7/1 | 6/1 |
| Poker Face | 8/1 | 6/1 |
Lockinge Stakes Runners
There are three runners clear in the betting for the Lockinge Stakes 2024.
Inspiral
After a patchy three year old campaign, Inspiral brought back a level of consistency in her performances last year. The first of those saw her finish a neck second in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot after over 240 days off the track.
Against the geldings she did well to finish where she did with the Lockinge winner Modern Games back in fourth. After an excusable defeat on soft ground at Goodwood she won her final three starts, all being Group 1's.
The first was the most impressive as she beat the boys at Deauville. Moreover, not only did she beat the boys but she beat her main rival for the Lockinge Stakes, Big Rock.
Although the ground favoured John Gosden's filly, conditions will be similar on Saturday and she managed to gain revenge on Triple Time who could only manage fifth place.
The next run saw her return to Fillies and Mares company in Newmarket's Sun Chariot Stakes where she ran out a convincing 3 length winner.
The next time she travelled across to Santa Anita where she won the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf beating Warm Heart who had previously won the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp and the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks.
Both of these were undoubtedly good performances but neither achieved as much as her Deauville success against the geldings.
With a record first time out reading 112, with the 2nd at Royal Ascot by a neck, she should be up to winning this provided she gets a sound surface.
Big Rock
After winning the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot by six lengths eased down, it might be surprising to connections of Big Rock that he is not favourite for his seasonal reappearance.
Indeed, that performance earned him an official rating of 127, seven pounds above the favourite Inspiral whilst only conceding 3lbs in weight.
However, that performance was in soft ground and this heavy ground winner has been beaten three times in fourth starts on a sound surface, a record that doesn't bode well given the dry forecast.
It must be said that all those three defeats came in Group 1's so it is not disputed that this son of Rock of Gibraltar can put up a high level of performance on good ground but it does seem to be a level below the calibre of performance he registers on a softer surface. Provided the forecast remains the same, he is vulnerable for winning purposes.
Charyn
This son of Dark Angel has risen 7lbs in the ratings since May last year and has catapulted him into contention for Saturday's Lockinge Stakes.
After finishing 4th and 3rd behind Paddington in the Irish 2000 Guineas and Royal Ascot's St James's Palaces Stakes, Roger Varian's star continued his consistency with a similar performance in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
However, the 2nd placed that day Factor Cheval was beaten six lengths by Big Rock next time out and, given that Charyn was three lengths behind him, it does seem that he is a level or two below the race protagonists.
Yet, he's already run twice this year and won both starts. First of these was at Doncaster's Lincoln meeting where he won the Listed Mile Stakes impressively and the second run was at Sandown where he won the Group 2 Bet365 mile beating Lord North back in third. That run saw him climb 2lb's in the rating and this improving four year old also has race fitness on his side.
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Lockinge Stakes Tips
With the forecast as it is and her first time out record outstanding, INSPIRAL rates a very confident selection to win another Lockinge for John and Thady Gosden.
Although behind in the ratings, Big Rock isn't a 127 rated horse on a sound surface whereas Inspiral is at her best in those conditions.
