Izzy Phillips: Newbury Preview

Thunder forecast for the Lockinge

1:25 Newbury

Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes

Selection: Kalpana

I’ve made no secret of my love for this horse. She finished last season in style with a win on Champions Day at Ascot, and I’m hoping she can start this campaign in much the same fashion.

She’s excellent over 1m4f, and with a little rain around, any cut in the ground will suit her perfectly. I can’t see a world in which she doesn’t win this, especially with the Juddmonte machine rolling and the Andrew Balding–Colin Keane combination already landing the Dante Stakes at York earlier this week.

2:35 Newbury

Lockinge Stakes

Selection: More Thunder

The classiest horse in the race is Notable Speech, but I’m just a little worried that the Charlie Appleby yard isn’t quite firing at the moment. That’s led me to look elsewhere, and I’ve landed on More Thunder.

He’s an incredibly exciting horse who leaves you waiting until the very last minute to get his head in front. He went so close over 6f before finding his sweet spot at 7f. Now stepping up to a mile, if he can sustain that late run over the extra furlong, he could sweep through late and cause an upset.

To top it all off, he’s trained by William Haggas, whose yard is rarely out of form these days.