ITV Racing Tips: Best bets from Newbury on Lockinge Stakes day

Saturday’s dose of ITV Racing comes from Newbury and Newmarket with an emphasis on the Berkshire circuit, where the showpiece Group 1 Lockinge Stakes is flanked by great races like the listed Carnarvon Stakes, Group 3 Aston Park Stakes and London Gold Cup heritage handicap.

Read on for our best bets on Lockinge Day as we bid to follow up 16/1 and 6/5 winners in last weekend’s ITV Racing column.

Charlton four-year-old can score another win on Lockinge card

Harry Charlton’s KING’S GAMBIT landed the prestigious London Gold Cup handicap on this Newbury card last year in what was his first run of the season, before progressing on to pattern company, with a half-length third in the 1m4f Group 2 Great Voltigeur arguably the pick of his subsequent form.

If a sign was needed to suggest that the four-year-old is ready to score first time out again this year the booking of superstar jockey Ryan Moore to ride him in the Aston Park Stakes (12.50) looks to be it.

The addition of first-time blinkers is further suggestion that the third-highest-rated horse in the race (114) should do the business.

Of the two with higher BHA marks, Courage Mon Ami (116) earned his over a mile further than this 1m4f contest in last season’s Ascot Gold Cup, while Al Aasy (115) must concede 3lbs to selection.

Take on O’Brien’s Carnarvon hotpot with progressive filly

Ides Of March looks certain to go off comfortably favourite to win the Highclere Castle Gin Carnarvon Stakes (1.25), courtesy of his close second to Group 1 winner Whistlejacket at Navan in April.

However, at what are sure to be longer odds, the Aidan-O’Brien-trained colt is taken on with Richard Hughes’ progressive filly SAYIDAH DARIYAN, despite her being slapped with a 9lb rise for an authoritative victory on the Chelmsford all weather on her seasonal reappearance.

The third-best horse in the race on official ratings (101) behind Symbol Of Honour (104) and Ides Of March (108), she carries a not inconsequential 5lbs less weight than them by virtue of her sex.

Previously her best runs have come on the Polytrack, in the shape of the Chelmsford win and a scorching 13-length romp at Lingfield in her juvenile campaign. Hughes was surprised she was able to handle the all-weather so well on that occasion, suggesting the return to turf could bring about further improvement.

Notable Speech Lockinge value to down Classic-season rival

Rosallion looks a worthy favourite for this year’s BoyleSports Lockinge Stakes (2.35) having registered back to back Group 1 wins over a mile last summer before a respiratory infection ended his season. Left off in the autumn due to a distaste for soft ground he’s likely to return none the worse for the hiatus.

Nonetheless, the discrepancy in the prices between Richard Hannon’s colt and his Classic season rival NOTABLE SPEECH is big enough to side with the latter, who also bagged two top-flight miles in 2024.

The score between the pair stands at one all, but while the selection and his old foe both ran to their best when Charlie Appleby’s colt landed the 2,000 Guineas, the same can’t be said for Rosallion’s revenge, when Notable Speech traipsed in seventh over the round mile of Ascot’s St James’s Palace Stakes.

Facing off over a straight mile again at Newbury, with Appleby’s horses running at a red-hot 39% strike rate over the past fortnight at the time of writing, the pendulum can tilt back in favour of our pick.