Inspiral and Big Rock are set for an epic duel in the 2024 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on Saturday afternoon, but our in-house tipster is willing to take the pair on with a flourishing four-year-old that can hand Roger Varian his second win in this iconic Group 1 prize. Check out our Lockinge Stakes preview here…
INSPIRAL
(Kieran Shoemark/John & Thady Gosden)
One of the leading milers in training, Inspiral was sensational at the back end of last season as the five-year-old racked up a trio of Group 1 wins. Having retained her Prix Jacques Le Marois crown at Deauville she then bounded to victory in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket before landing the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf in America. Back for another campaign, she’s undoubtedly the best horse in this race, but she can often take time to get into full stride in a season and she may prove vulnerable on her seasonal reappearance. The John & Thady Gosden team have already said they don’t want too much rain to hit Newbury and if the ground is on the soft side then she may just struggle to see it out at the end.
BIG ROCK
(Aurelien Lemaitre/Maurizio Guarnieri)
French raider Big Rock came over to the UK at the end of last season and romped to a six-length victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot on British Champions Day and the Maurizio Guarnieri-trained son of Rock Of Gibraltar will hope to land another big prize away from home. Proven to be a class act on soft going, the four-year-old will want the clouds to open at Newbury, but this is his first start of the season and like Inspiral he could prove vulnerable on his first run. Challenging for favouritism, Big Rock adds huge intrigue to the race, but may be seen in a better light later in the season.
CHARYN
(Silvestre De Sousa/Roger Varian)
Roger Varian’s Charyn failed to get his head in front at Group level last season, but the Dark Angel colt has turned a real corner this campaign as he has already bagged himself two victories and he bids for a hat-trick here. A comfortable winner of the Listed Doncaster Mile in March he then got the better of another of Saturday’s rivals Poker Face in another authoritative victory in the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown Park. There’s no doubting he will need to improve again now taking on proven top notch Group 1 performers, but he’s in the form of his life and while the market leaders are having their first run of the season, Charyn is already firing on all cylinders.
POKER FACE
(James Doyle/Simon & Ed Crisford)
A Group 2 and Group 3 win in Germany and France last season saw Poker Face launch into the upper echelons of the mile division and he was a decent second to Charyn in the bet365 Mile on his first run this term. The five-year-old son of Fastnet Rock is sure to come on significantly for that effort at Sandown and is another prominent figure, but he was beaten on merit that day by Charyn, so has his work cut out to reverse that form.
THE FIELD
Third in the Coventry Stakes and second in the Dewhurst Stakes as a juvenile, Royal Scotsman has failed to kick on for Paul & Oliver Cole, so will be looking to improve in his four-year-old campaign. A former runaway winner of the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot back in 2021, Real World has been struggling for form in recent seasons, but does have that ability to produce a barnstorming run.
Karl Burke’s Flight Plan ended last season with a Group 2 victory and is having his first run of the season, but this is much tougher, while the likes of Hi Royal and Audience are available at big prices to cause a huge shock.
VERDICT
A fascinating renewal where Inspiral and Big Rock are the proven class acts in the race, but both having their first run of the season they could prove vulnerable. That leaves the door open for CHARYN to continue his fine winning streak this season that has seen him get his head in front already and Roger Varian can land this prize for a second time having saddled Belardo to victory in 2016.
- Charyn
- Big Rock
- Inspiral
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