When Is The Lockinge Stakes 2021?

The 2021 Lockinge Stakes will be run at 15.35 on Saturday 15 May at Newbury Racecourse.

What Distance Is The Lockinge Stakes?

The Lockinge Stakes is run over a mile on the straight course at Newbury.

What Horses Can Run In The Lockinge Stakes?

Horses aged four and older can run in the Lockinge Stakes, including colts, geldings, fillies, and mares.

Lockinge Stakes Trends 2021

Field sizes have varied between six and 16 runners in the last ten editions of the Lockinge Stakes, but all ten winners have been drawn in either stalls two, three, four, five, or six. Stalls three and five have the best record, both producing three winners each.

4-year-olds have won seven of the last ten runnings, with two 5-year-olds and one 6-year-old also successful. The score stands at five-five for horses that have had a prep run or making their seasonal debut but the last four had all run at least once already that season.

Eight winners were returned at odds of between 2/7 and 10/3, with the other two returned at 8/1 and 9/1, suggesting it pays to concentrate on horses towards the head of the market.

Aidan O’Brien and Roger Varian are the only trainers with runners this year that have won the Lockinge Stakes in the last decade. Ryan Moore, Frankie Dettori, James Doyle, and Andrea Atzeni have all ridden a winner in that time.

Lockinge Stakes Runners 2021

Bless Him
7-year-old that has plenty to find on official ratings and he has eight lengths to make up with the likely favourite Palace Pier on their running at Sandown last time. Goes well for jockey Jamie Spencer but he would be a shock winner.

Century Dream
Another 7-year-old but he’s rated 116 after winning a Group 2 and a Group 3 last season. Appreciates a bit of cut in the ground and he goes especially well at Newbury, where he’s won on two of his three previous visits. James Doyle has also won two of his four rides on him. Stall nine is wider than ideal but he might land some place money.

Happy Power
5-year-old that bagged two Group races with a bit of juice in the ground last year. But his last three wins have all come over seven furlongs, and there’s a good chance he’ll be outstayed in the closing stages on a track that often favours horses that stay a bit further than a mile.

Lope Y Fernandez
117-rated 4-year-old trained by Aidan O’Brien that placed in a couple of Group/Grade 1s last season. Made a winning return in a Listed race this year, but he doesn’t win often, and he hasn’t fared well with the draw in stall 11.

Lord Campari
4-year-old that looks nicely drawn in stall four but he’s the lowest-rated of all the runners on a mark of 102. His only win in four runs so far has come at Newbury, so connections will be hoping a return to this track sparks some improvement, but it needs to.

Lord Glitters
Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot at his best and, even though he’s now aged eight, he’s already bagged another Group 1 at Meydan this year. But he ran poorly in this race in 2019 and has again been unlucky with the draw in stall ten.

My Oberon
Ran some good races in defeat last season and looked to have taken another step forward with a convincing win on his seasonal debut. Looks to be handily drawn in stall two and, though he might prove better over slightly further this season, he’s one of the more interesting contenders.

Palace Pier
4-year-old that sets the standard on a mark of 125, having already won at Group 1 level. His only defeat in seven races came on very soft ground at the end of what was a tough 3-year-old campaign. Should be ideally suited to a straight mile on good-to-soft ground, and the only slight negative is that he’s drawn slightly wider than ideal in stall eight.

Pogo
Won two Listed races but has been beaten in Group races in between. Likeable sort but he shouldn’t be good enough and stall 12 is far from ideal.

Safe Voyage
8-year-old that is drawn in stall six but, despite winning a Group 2 over a mile last season, he’s always been considered more of a seven-furlong specialist. Loves soft ground but, even if it rains heavily, he may be outstayed.

Top Rank
5-year-old that has won six of his eight races over a mile, but the concern is he finished last of six on the only occasion he’s run in Group 1 company. No surprise if he runs well but there’s not enough evidence to suggest he’s ready to win this prestigious race.

Lady Bowthorpe
5-year-old whose seasonal-debut win got a boost when the runner-up won at York this week. She also has a nice draw in stall three, but she’s not proven at Group 1 company and the only filly or mare to win the Lockinge Stakes in the last decade was rated much higher.

Who Will Win The Lockinge Stakes 2021?

The stats suggest the winner will most likely be a 4-year-old that has had a prep run and is drawn in between stalls two and six.

Palace Pier sets a high standard on form but, with the Gosden stable a bit quiet recently, he’s worth taking on from stall eight.

The stable of William Haggas has been in good form of late and his horses at York this week have all run up to form. That makes My Oberon the most interesting runner in this year’s Lockinge Stakes. He’s a 4-year-old drawn in stall 2 and, as he’s proven over slightly further, he looks a solid each-way bet against the favourite.