California Chrome tops 36 entries for £350,000 Al Shaqab Lockinge

Victor Espinoza and California Chrome, who could make his European debut in the Al Shaqab Lockinge. Image copyright of Racingfotos.com

America’s 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome heads a fantastic entry of 36 for this year’s £350,000 Al Shaqab Lockinge at Newbury on Saturday 16 May.  

The Art Sherman-trained four-year-old won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes impressively last year, though he was beaten in his bid for the US Triple Crown when going down by two lengths to Tonalist in the Belmont Stakes over a mile and a half. 

California Chrome subsequently finished a narrowly-beaten third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, and made a highly encouraging reappearance when runner-up to Prince Bishop in the Dubai World Cup at Meydan on Saturday. Europeans can now hope to see him in the second race of the QIPCO British Champions Series Mile division.   

Another US-trained entry is Todd Pletcher’s Mshawish, successful in a nine-furlong Grade One turf contest at Gulfstream Park in February and third in the Group 1 Dubai Turf over the same distance at Meydan. 

The Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is the likely starting point for last year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile hero Karakontie (Jonathan Pease). The four-year-old, who also enjoyed Classic success in the French 2000 Guineas, is one of five French-trained contenders for the Newbury race over a straight mile. 

Alan Cooper, racing manager to Karakontie’s owner the Niarchos Family, said: "Karakontie has wintered well and the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is the race we are looking at.  "We will obviously have to see nearer the time but we feel he is a horse who needs good ground so he may well make his reappearance at Newbury. We have also entered a pacemaker, Maximum Velocity.

"Karakontie won very well at the Breeders’ Cup and there was no fluke about his performance in America. After he won the French 2,000 Guineas, we got him ready for the Prix du Jockey Club but he did not appreciate the extra distance and it took him a long time to get over it. 

"He was not really sparking and it was not until the second half of September that he really began to flourish again. He got massacred in the Foret but kept improving and in California he was in top form. 

"The objective after the Lockinge Stakes will be the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Then you have got races like the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques Les Marois – essentially he will be kept to the top mile races." 

The French-trained contenders for the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes are completed by Group One winner Ectot (Elie Lellouche), last season’s French 2000 Guineas runner-up Prestige Vendome(Nicholas Clement) and high-class filly Bawina (Carlos Laffon-Parias). 

Ireland’s Champion Trainer Aidan O’Brien gained victory in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes with the impressive Hawk Wing in 2003 and has entered last season’s Diamond Jubilee Stakes runner-upDue Diligence plus Cougar Mountain and Oklahoma City. 

Britain’s Champion Trainer Richard Hannon sent out Olympic Glory to claim the spoils last year in his first season with a training licence and is likely to run last year’s QIPCO 2000 Guineas victorNight Of Thunder and Toormore, who was Europe’s champion two-year-old in 2013. 

Other high-profile entries include Integral (Sir Michael Stoute) and Rizeena (Clive Brittain), who are both dual Grade One winners. 

Harry Herbert, Racing Advisor to Al Shaqab Racing, said: "The Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is the focal point of a hugely valuable and important international raceday. "I am delighted that the strength of this year’s entries from around the world provides such an outstanding vote of confidence in the race."