Sky Sports Racing is the place to be for high-class live action on Saturday, with the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury topping the bill on a busy and varied day…
3.35 Newbury – Inspiral headlines Lockinge Stakes
Connections of six-time Group One winner Inspiral will hope the rain has not got into the Newbury ground ahead of the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes – although she did beat the reopposing Big Rock on good-to-soft ground last season. John and Thady Gosden pair the five-year-old with Kieran Shoemark, who replaces Frankie Dettori in the plate.
Big Rock makes his first start for trainer Maurizio Guarnieri after leaving Christopher Head’s yard and was last seen demolishing a classy field in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October. The son of Rock Of Gibraltar boasts three wins from seven starts on turf and is well suited to the mile trip.
Charyn and Poker Face renew their rivalry after their first and second places at Sandown last time out but will have to improve stepping up in class here.
2.15 Auteuil – Mr Incredible clashes with Hewick in French Champion Hurdle
Willie Mullins is no stranger to winning the Grande Course Haies d’Auteuil and saddles the very quirky Mr Incredible – one of five Irish challengers. The Closutton gelding still has his doubters after misfiring in the Grand National and at Ayr, but the attitude shown when second in the Midlands Grand National suggests there is still plenty to come.
King George hero Hewick will be hoping Paris gets no more rain, but he did run well in the race last year and cannot be discounted. Shark Hanlon’s incredibly likeable entry ran a creditable third behind Fastorslow in the Punchestown Gold Cup, especially considering the calibre of opposition.
Irish Point will not have State Man to worry about on this occasion and the step up to 3m 1f looks like it could suit, while Mahler Mission is likely to benefit stepping back down in trip from his last outing at Aintree in the Grand National.
00.01 Pimlico – Mystik Dan chases second leg of Triple Crown
The Kentucky Derby hero Mystik Dan came out on top in a very close finish at Churchill Downs and if that effort has not taken too much out of him, he could be very hard to beat again as he seeks the second leg of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes.
Seize The Grey arrives on the back of a Grade Two victory over a mile, and it looks like there could be more improvement to come back up two furlongs.
Frankie Dettori will be wearing the Zenyatta colours on Imagination who has been very consistent and could be the each-way angle.
Best of the rest
Newbury is the venue for Desert Hero‘s Ashton Park Stakes tilt, where he will meet the likes of Middle Earth and Salt Bay in a competitive looking affair. Later on, Cloth Of Stars colt Brioni takes on King’s Gambit, with Chantilly waiting in the wings. At Uttoxeter, Diamand De Vindency is the one to watch for Robert Bevis, returning to action over hurdles after two promising efforts on the Flat.