The Group 1 Lockinge Stakes is the centrepiece of Newbury's richest race-day of the year on the Flat and this titanic horse racing betting event takes place every May.
Named after a former parish located near Newbury, the Lockinge Stakes was established in 1958 over the straight mile at Newbury Racecourse.
The first running was won by a three-year-old, Pall Mall, owned by Her Majesty the Queen.
He went on to win the 1959 Lockinge Stakes too, becoming the first of three dual winners of the famous Newbury race.
Originally, the Lockinge Stakes was open to three-year-old thoroughbreds as well, but the current age restrictions were imposed in 1995 moving the minimum age to four.
Race History
The Lockinge Stakes has been won by some of the greatest racehorses in the history of the sport. In 1972 Brigadier Gerard took the race on his seasonal reappearance as a four-year-old.
Jump forwards forty years to 2012, and it was the unbeaten Frankel who stole the show, winning by five lengths in effortless style.
At the end of that year, the unbeaten Frankel was given the highest official rating of any racehorse in history, and was retired with 14 straight victories under his belt.
The Lockinge Stakes has seen lots of memorable performances. Lester Piggott's six victories, Hawk Wing's record-breaking 11-length victory in 2003 and Frankie Dettori steering Olympic Glory to victory in 2014 are just a few of the many highlights.
Most Successful Trainers In Lockinge Stakes
Godolphin has dominated the Lockinge Stakes for over two decades, notching an impressive nine wins since 1998.
Five of these wins came with trainer Saeed bin Suroor - cementing their status as the most successful owner-trainer partnership in the race's history.
The nine successful “boys in blue” winners have been: Cape Cross (1998), Fly to the Stars (1999), Aljabr (2000), Creachadoir (2008), Farhh (2013), Night of Thunder (2015), Belardo (2016), Ribchester (2017) & Modern Games (2023).
Most Successful Jockeys In Lockinge Stakes
Leading jockey (6 wins): Lester Piggott – Sovereign Path (1960), The Creditor (1964), Sparkler (1973), Belmont Bay (1981), Polar Falcon (1991), Swing Low (1993).
Lockinge Group Status
Before the age limit was altered, the Lockinge Stakes wasn’t the prestigious race that it is today. When the grading system was introduced in 1971, the race was classed as a Group 2 event.
In 1983, it was actually degraded to a Group 3 race, only to be returned to Group 2 status two years later in 1985.
It wasn't until the change of age limit in 1995 that the Lockinge Stakes was classified by the European Pattern Committee as a Group 1 race and was classified as Europe's early-season mile highlight for older horses.
The 2025 renewal of the Lockinge Stakes takes place on Saturday 17th May so keep your eyes peeled for tips on the big race.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*
