Saturday 16th May 2026
Welcome aboard to the Saturday blog this week, where it’s Lockinge Day at Newbury, and I have four selections throughout the afternoon. The first of which comes in the opener at 1.25, and this is the Group 3 Ashton Park Stakes over a mile and four furlongs. This is my best bet of the day, and comes in the form of KALPANA for the team of Andrew Balding and Colin Keane. She’s the highest rated here, and should be very tough to beat if she’s anywhere near her best form. When she was last seen in October, she won the Group 1 Fillies & Mares race at Ascot on Champions Day, which is the best form on offer here by a considerable margin, and she also chased home superstar Calandagan in the King George earlier on in the campaign. It would be disappointing if she were to get beaten in Group 3 company here, despite it being her first run of the season.
Moving onto the 2.00 now, and this is the Listed Fillies’ Trial Stakes, which is contested over a mile and two furlongs. The Ralph Beckett-trained Golden Orbit will be a warm order at the top of the betting here following her maiden success at Newmarket back in September, however, she hasn’t been seen since, and may well need this run. Therefore, I’ve come down on SACRED GROUND for the team of John & Thady Gosden, and the mount of William Buick. The yard have already hit the ground running with their fillies this term, and this looks like another potentially nice one for them. She was a winner on debut at Yarmouth back in October, before progressing to finish second in Listed company at Newmarket on her second outing. She filled that same position on seasonal reapperance when stepped up to ten furlongs at that same track last time out, in a race where eventual winner Jennifer Jane just got away from them from the front. The Gosden filly should take a big step forward coming into her second start here, and having a run under her belt could give her the edge here.There should be plenty more to come.
The big one comes up at 2.35, and this is the first domestic Group 1 of the campaign, the Lockinge Stakes, contested over the straight mile. It’s another one for John & Thady Gosden who I like here, and that’s DAMYSUS, who’s sports the Wathnan Racing Silks, and is the mount of retained rider James Doyle. He progressed nicely at the back end of last season, winning a Listed contest in France by two lengths, before signing off with Group 3 success at Newmarket in the Darley Stakes. He posted his best effort to date though on his seasonal reapperance at Newmarket last month when winning the Group 3 Early Of Sefton Stakes in very impressive style by three and three-quarters of a length, defying a penalty in the process which gives the performance even more substance. He’s back down to a mile here, however, the pace he showed last time out suggests that shouldn’t be an issue, and if he continues at his current rate of progression, he’s got every chance of following up here a the top level.
My fourth and final selection of the afternoon comes within the 3.10, and this is the Listed Carnavon Stakes, which is ridden over a distance of six furlongs. This is a competitive renewal of which I’ve come down on the Aidan O’Brien-trained ALBERT EINSTEIN, who’s the mount of Ryan Moore. He’s a colt with a big reputation following back-to-back victories at the start of last season, and whilst he’s taking a bit of time to come to the boil since his return to the track following a lay off, this return to six furlongs could be the key to seeing the best of him. He was far from disgraced here last month when finishing third in the Greenham Stakes, when not getting the clearest of runs, which was a step forward on his slightly laboured seasonal reappearance at the Curragh. He’s unbeaten over six furlongs with two wins from two starts, and if he takes another step forward coming into his third outing here, he has to be a player for his powerhouse connections.
Saturday Selections
16/05/26
1.25 Newbury
KALPANA – (Evs) (Win) (NAP)
2.00 Newbury
SACRED GROUND – (11/4) (Win)
2.35 Newbury
DAMYSUS – (10/3) (Win)
3.10 Newbury
ALBERT EINSTEIN – (5/2) (Win) (NB)
