Boys In Blue To Score At Newbury

While time will ultimately tell just how strong Saturday’s Lockinge Stakes is, it is probably fair to say that it isn’t a vintage renewal of the Group One contest (3.55 Newbury).

Beware of the Boys in Blue
But there is plenty of intrigue and Godolphin certainly seem intent on keeping their recent good run going.

Godolphin will have four runners in the race with Richard Hannon’s Toormore (4/1) the current favourite after making a winning start to his five-year-old season and giving weight away to decent opposition in the process.

One of the horses that was in opposition last month in the bet365 Mile at Sandown was another Godolphin-owned horse Belardo (7/1), and it is this son of Lope De Vega that is picked to reverse the form this weekend.

Grounds for Concern
The ground at Newbury is set to be softer than ideal for many of these including 6/1 shot Limato, who may even be withdrawn if connections are not happy when they walk the track.

This actually looks to be a race made for Limato to make his mark if the ground had been quicker but that is not the case.

I suspect they’ll have to wait for another opportunity but it is ground on which I think Belardo can excel for Roger Varian and Andrea Atzeni.

Irish Raider
Ger Lyons is responsible for the only Irish challenger in the Group One with 10/1 shot Endless Drama having his first run since finishing second to Gleneagles in the Irish 2,000 Guineas almost a year ago.

By his own admission Ger Lyons is asking a lot of Endless Drama but don’t discount a big run from the four-year-old and I’m sure there’ll be more to come from him throughout the season.

Recommended Bet:
Belardo – 3.55 Newbury

*Prices correct at time of publication.