Newbury Lockinge Stakes betting and odds

Newbury Lockinge Stakes betting preview

As we prepare to say goodbye to York’s Dante Festival – step up Newbury and the JLT Lockinge Stakes.  The 53rd running of this Group One event will be run over the straight mile where Canford Cliffs will take on nine rivals as he looks to continue where he left off as a classy 3-year-old. Of this opposition, he will come head-to-head with stablemate Dick Turpin who he had a length behind in the St. James’ Palace Stakes at Ascot in June. So, it promises to be an enthralling renewal headed by the Richard Hannon trained pair.

There’s little doubt Canford Cliffs is the horse they all have to beat in the Lockinge. Last year he scooped the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the Susex Stakes sandwiched between his victory in the St. James’ Palace at Royal Ascot. Each time Richard Hughes has got serious with him he’s proved a class act and had Dick Turpin a length behind on his penultimate run. If all goes well in running Canford Cliffs will prove a tough nut to crack at odds on.
Dick Turpin is interesting in the sense that he’s already had a run this year. He won with considerable ease on his reappearance in the Bet365 mile at Sandown three weeks ago and has beat Canford Cliffs in the Greenham last season. Three-time champion jockey Ryan Moore takes the ride and Dick Turpin could surprise a few who think this one is a forgone conclusion. At 7/2 he looks the value in the race.

After the success of Midday in the Dante on Thursday Henry Cecil has another fine chance here with Prince Khalid Abdulla’s Twice Over. This 6-year-old landed a fourth win in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown in July but flopped in the Dubai World Cup in March. Back on home soil he stands a real chance if fully tuned up. At 7/1 he looks a bet to nothing each way and had Dick Turpin trailing in the Juddmonte in August.

A real genuine and consistent sort is Cityscape (12/1) who has done much of his running over a mile. He notched successive Group One events for Roger Charlton last campaign and beat Premio Loco a long way on his penultimate run. The only negative is Dick Turpin had his measure recently although he is expected to get better ground this time around.
Michael and Barry Hills team up with Red Jazz but he looks up against it in this company. Predominantly raced at 7f he is likely to find a couple too good here as is Premio Loco who will have George Baker in the saddle. He has run poorly of late and finished eighth of nine in a Group One which Cityscape won last time, so he is another probably best watched on this occasion.

Of the rest, the Godolphin runner Shakespearean has failed to pull up any trees on recent form and is overlooked. Likewise Beacon Lodge, who despite winning a listed sprint at Haydock last week is significantly upped in class here. Of those with an outside squeak Balthazaar’s Gift is capable of upsetting his larger odds won a competitive Group 2 at Doncaster at the end of last season; certainly one to keep an eye on. Worthadd completes the line-up and any market confidence would be significant.

Probably a two-horse race in all honesty with the Richard Hannon pair likely to be scrapping it out for the £175,000 prize. It would be no surprise to Canford Cliffs steam home by a lengthy margin but Twice over on his best form should run a race if his Meydan exertions haven’t took too much out of him. Dick Turpin looks the the value bet at 7/2 for the 2011 running of the JLT Lockinge Stakes.

By Mikey Mumford

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