The Group 1 BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes (15h35) takes pride of place at Newbury racecourse on Saturday.
Run over the straight mile it has been won by some greats of the past including Canford Cliffs (now residing at Ridgemont in South Africa), and the mighty Frankel a year later in 2012. More recently Palace Pier and Baaeed did the business in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Notable Speech won the Gr1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood in 2024 (Pic – Godolphin on FB)
This year looks to be another cracker – a rematch of the first two past the post in last season’s 2000 Guineas in Notable Speech and Rosallion. They head the market in a field of eight along with the Roger Teal trained Dancing Gemini, with the top-class filly Tamfana no back number.
Richard Hannon is buzzing about his stable star Rosallion who makes his seasonal return. He’s 6/4 favourite even though it’s his first run since winning the St. James’s Palace Stakes at last year’s Royal Ascot. Sean Levey retains the ride.
A course winner here as a juvenile, this lightly raced colt followed up after his runner-up position at Newmarket with Classic glory in the Irish 2000 Guineas and improved again with success at Royal Ascot where the reopposing Notable Speech disappointed, finished unplaced.
The Godolphin runner Notable Speech represents a very much in-form trainer Charlie Appleby. This Dubawi colt hasn’t been seen since his third placed finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar in November but is sure to be fully wound up.
The interesting runner is the Roger Teal trained Dancing Gemini who comes here unbeaten in two starts this season. Teal has snapped up the services of Ryan Moore and his Group 2 winning Camelot colt has shown significant improvement as a four-year-old.
Rosallion and Notable Speech are officially joint top-rated on 122, four pounds clear of Dancing Gemini and both have Group 1 success on good to fast ground which is expected on Saturday. They look set to fight out the finish with Rosallion getting the vote.
Earlier on the card, the eight-year-old veteran Al Aasy could deny the Ryan Moore ridden King’s Gambit in the Gr3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes (13h50). Run over a mile and a half, Sunway, and the Godolphin improver El Cordobes also merit consideration, but track conditions sway the verdict towards the Jim Crowley ridden course and distance winner.
Moore rides at Newbury as Ballydoyle raid with Ides Of March in the Listed Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes (14h25) over six furlongs; and Genealogy in the ten-furlong Gold Cup Handicap (15h00). Both have strong winning chances.
