Lockinge Stakes Tips, Betting Offers and Odds

In terms of high class one mile contests, there are few better than Newbury’s Lockinge Stakes. Read on for the best odds, betting offers and betting tips for this excellent contest.

With £350,000 in total prize money on offer, this Group 1, one mile event is one of the key targets of the season for the top milers in training. Since its inaugural running here at Newbury in 1958, the prize has been won by some real superstars, including 2000 Guineas winner Frankel.

Lockinge Stakes Tips and Betting Offers, 3:40 at Newbury, 18 May 2019

The Lockinge Stakes is the big early season miler away from the 1000 and 2000 Guineas. Open to horses aged four and older, the Lockinge is a hugely important and prestigious Group 1 contest which has attracted as strong a field as ever to Newbury on Saturday.

A Truly Top Class Mile Long Race

Punters know that favourites have a very good record in the Lockinge Stakes. In fact, 12 of the last 16 favourites obliged their backers with victory but the odds should not be the most important consideration for punters. In fact, the most important consideration is whether or not a horse has already proven themselves at the top level.

The vast majority of Lockinge Stakes winners over the last two decades had already won at Group 1 level with most of them claiming their success(es) over a mile. That previous form (look for either wins or second places) often comes from a horse’s three-year-old season as 10 of the last 12 winners were aged four.

Supremely Talented Filly Can Get the Favourite Beaten

Le Brivido is the horse who favourite backers will hope can make then money in the 2019 Lockinge Stakes. His reappearance after a year out at Naas was also his first for his new trainer Aidan O’Brien. His age shouldn’t be too much of a problem as Le Brivido is lightly raced for a five-year-old but his lack of action recently raise concerns as O’Brien tries to turn Le Brivido into a top class miler.

There are no such concerns about Laurens who won an incredible five Group 1 races as a three-year-old which made her the apple of owner John Dances’ eye. Last season ended poorly as she took on colts and geldings for the first time but her poor performance in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes was likely down to the softer ground and fatigue.

Back on good ground and with a nice amount of rest behind her, Laurens may well be back to her very best which is enough to beat even competition of this calibre at 11/2 with Ladbrokes.

Betting Predictions

Fillies have a good record in the Lockinge Stakes which Laurens has every chance of improving on Saturday afternoon. She’ll need her best though as even those someway down the betting have a real chance of winning with that list very much including Lord Glitters who is rated a 12/1 shot with bet365.

John Gosden was happy with the way that Lord Glitters made himself at home in Group 1 company as a three-year-old and believes that there is more to come this season which began at the end of March in Meydan. His third place finish in the Dubai Turf was even more impressive given his wide draw and by all accounts he’s made the return to British shores without incident.

Lord Glitters fits the bill of a four-year-old with every chance of kicking on from last season to win the Lockinge apart from his odds. A tempting price of is nothing to worry about though and 12/1 must be considered excellent each way value.

Previous Winners

2018 – Rhododendron – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2017 – Ribchester – jockey William Buick, trainer Richard Fahey
2016 – Belardo – jockey Andrea Atzeni, trainer Roger Varian
2015 – Night Of Thunder – jockey James Doyle, trainer Richard Hannon, Jr.
2014 – Olympic Glory – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Richard Hannon, Jr.
2013 – Farhh – jockey Silvestre de Sousa, trainer Saeed bin Suroor
2012 – Frankel – jockey Tom Queally, trainer Sir Henry Cecil
2011 – Canford Cliffs – jockey Richard Hughes, trainer Richard Hannon, Sr.
2010 – Paco Boy – jockey Richard Hughes, trainer Richard Hannon, sr.
2009 – Virtual – jockey Jimmy Fortune, trainer John Gosden
2008 – Creachadoir – jockey Frankie Dettori, trainer Saeed bin Suroor
2007 – Red Evie – jockey Jamie Spencer, trainer Michael Bell
2006 – Peeress – jockey Kieren Fallon, trainer Sir Michael Stoute

Lockinge Stakes History

The list of previous winners here reads like a catalogue of racing’s brilliant milers. The tone was set right from the off as the first ever edition in 1958 was taken by that years 2000 Guineas champion Pall Mall. Pall Mall proved just as capable in his four year old season and became the first dual winner when again prevailing in 1959. Welsh Pageant (1970-71) and Soviet Line (1995-96) are the only others to take this more than once.

1972 marked the year when the race was first granted Group status. It may have only been a Group 2 but the winner that year would have been a star attraction in a Group 1 contest in that or any other season. Brigadier Gerard certainly had the right pedigree for success here as his sire, Queen’s Hussar, took the race in 1963. A winner of 17 of his 18 races, Brigadier Gerard is universally accepted as the greatest flat horse of the twentieth century. Dick Hern’s colt won just about every mile contest going in a period of domination, including the 2000 Guineas, St James’s Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes twice.

Henry Cecil won the first two editions of the 1980s, and it his 1980 hero Kris who was the best of the decade. The colt won 16 of his 18 career starts and went on to achieve considerable success as a sire, most notably with fillies triple-crown winner Oh So Sharp.

1995 saw the race belatedly achieve Group 1 status and also marked the year when the contest was first restricted to horses aged four years old and over. Since this time the event has consistently attracted a top class field and provided a number of brilliant winners.

Consistent is not a word one would associate with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Hawk Wing, but he was certainly brilliant when he turned up here in 2003. The son of Woodman looked to have the world at his feet following his 11 length destruction of a top class field in what was one of the most breath-taking performances in memory. He was never so good either before or after however and was retired after just one more start.

Legends Dominate the Lockinge

Last, but by no means least, in our look at the stars to have prevailed here is the greatest horse to have ever set foot on the track; the mighty Frankel, who took this in 2012. 14 wins from 14 starts, including 10 at Group 1 level only goes some of the way in describing the utter superiority of this horse of a lifetime.

Behind every great horse lies a great trainer and it is Sir Michael Stoute who has primed his runners to land this top class contest more than any other. His seven victories include those of the superstar filly Russian Rhythm in 2004.

Leading the way amongst the jockeys is the legendary Lester Piggott, who was the man aboard the winner six times between the years of 1960 and 1993, a record which will take some beating. Frankie Dettori has four wins, most recently taking this in 2014 on Irish horse Olympic Glory.