Lockinge Stakes

The Lockinge Stakes at Newbury was given Group 1 status in 1995 and is now one of the top mile races in Europe.

Famous early winners of the race include Brigadier Gerard (1972) and a new course record from Kris (1980).

Other notable winners include wide-margin winner Hawk Wing (2003) and the brilliant Frankel (2012).

Find out more about the Lockinge Stakes:

Race Overview – The Lockinge

The Lockinge Stakes is a Group 1 contest for four-year-olds or over a straight mile at Newbury racecourse.

It takes place in May and is often the first race of the new season for some of the top milers.

The Lockinge is a stepping-stone to the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and other top mile events.

Famous Lockinge Stakes Winners & History

The Lockinge Stakes was first held in 1958 and was originally open to three-year-olds.

The 2000 Guineas winner, Pall Mall, won the inaugural running and followed up as a four-year-old in 1959.

Only two horses have managed to equal his achievement: Welsh Pageant (1970 and 1971) and Soviet Line (1995 and 1996).

Brigadier Gerard won this race in 1972, one of the most popular horses in the history of the sport. He retired with only one defeat in his 18 races. His greatest victories include the 2000 Guineas, The Eclipse, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and two wins in the Champion Stakes.

In 1980, Kris set a new course record, having also done so on his previous start at Haydock.

There was a thrilling finish to the 1984 Lockinge Stakes when the judge was unable to separate Cormorant Wood and Wassl.

Arguably, the most brilliant winner was Hawk Wing in 2003, who stormed to a remarkable 11-length victory for Aidan O’Brien and Mick Kinane. Timeform were so impressed that they rated it the best performance over a mile anywhere in the world for nearly ten years.

The build-up to the 2012 renewal centred around Sir Henry Cecil’s unbeaten Frankel. He had suffered an injury scare in April, sparking rumours that he had retired. Thankfully, the injury was not serious, and he reappeared to win by five lengths. He went on to retire undefeated in 14 races. He was rated 147 by Timeform, surpassing Sea Bird, Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel as the highest-rated horse in the organisation’s history.

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Lockinge Stakes Trials

The Lockinge Stakes is often the seasonal debut for many of the leading milers.

Horses that ran in the previous season’s 1000 Guineas or 2000 Guineas at Newmarket can reappear here.

2000 Guineas form has been upheld by the likes of Frankel (2012) and Night Of Thunder (2015), while 1000 Guineas winner Russian Rhythm (2004) also won the Lockinge.

The most significant early-season trials for the Lockinge are the Doncaster Mile and the Bet365 Mile at Sandown.

The winner here often goes to Royal Ascot for The Queen Anne Stakes on the opening day of the meeting.

Canford Cliffs (2011), Frankel (2012) and Ribchester (2017) all followed up successfully at Ascot.

Lockinge Stakes Betting Trends

Favourites have a powerful record in the Lockinge Stakes, with six clear favourites and one joint-favourite winning in the past ten years.

Frankel started 2-7 favourite in 2012, completing a hat-trick of odds-on wins after Paco Boy (2010) and Canford Cliffs (2011). Olympic Glory (2014), Ribchester (2017) and Rhododendron (2018) were also well-backed favourites, and Night Of Thunder (2015) started as a joint-favourite.

Mustashry provided a rare Lockinge upset when winning at 9-1 for Sir Michael Stoute and Jim Crowley in 2019.

Belardo (2016) started one point shorter at 8-1, but the shock results are sporadic in this race.

Lockinge Stakes Stats

• Four-year-olds have by far the best record in the race run over the distance of 1 mile, winning ten of the last thirteen renewals.
• It is a Group 1 race
• Six-year-old Mustashry snapped that trend in 2019, the first of his age group to win since Rakti in 2005.
• Around half of recent winners were race-fit from a run within the previous two months. Belardo was unusual in that he was having his third run of the season, having won the Doncaster Mile before finishing fourth at Sandown.
• Class is a key factor here for your Lockinge tips. A very high percentage of previous winners had one or more Group 1 victories prior to running at Newbury, and all had won over a mile.
• An official rating of 115 or higher is usually required to win this race.
• Frankel was rated 136 on his four-year-old debut here, 9lbs higher than the 2011 winner Canford Cliffs.
• Rhododendron (2018) is the only winning mare in the past 12 years.

Top Trainers and Jockeys of the Lockinge

Sir Michael Stoute is the trainer to follow for your Lockinge Stakes bets. Mustashry provided the Newmarket trainer with a record eighth victory in the race in 2019. His first success came with “Scottish Reel” in 1986, and he struck again four years later with “Safawan” (1990). Dual winner Soviet Line (1995 and 1996), Medicean (2001), Russian Rhythm (2004) and Peeress (2006) provided his other victories.

Godolphin have enjoyed equal success as owners here, Ribchester becoming their eighth Lockinge winner in 2017.

Aidan O’Brien trained Hawk Wing to win in 2003 but did not add to that success until Rhododendron’s narrow victory in 2018.

It is very unusual for France to be represented here, but Keltos made the journey pay off for trainer Carlos Laffon-Parias in 2002.

Betting on the Lockinge Stakes 2026

The Lockinge Stakes is one of the first Group 1 races of the new turf season, and ante-post betting opens when the first entries are announced.

It is advisable to check the running plans before placing your Lockinge bets, as trainers will often assess going conditions before declaring. They seldom risk their top horses on very soft ground for their first race of the season.

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Summary of Lockinge Stakes

The Lockinge Stakes often sets the standard for the top mile races for the rest of the season.

The market has been a good guide to the outcome in recent times, but it is a form worth following for Royal Ascot and beyond.

It is worth noting horses who usually finish strongly, as well as those having their first outing of the new season.