Leading Lockinge contender Friendly Soul ruled out of Saturday's race at Newbury

Leading Lockinge Stakes contender Friendly Soul will miss her intended return at Newbury on Saturday (3.35) with connections aiming her at the Brigadier Gerard Stakes.

A 10-1 chance with sponsors Boylesports but as short as 7-1 elsewhere for the Lockinge, the John and Thady Gosden-trained filly was last seen making a successful first start in Group 1 company when overcoming stablemate Running Lion in the Prix de L’Opera over a mile and a quarter on Arc day.

Before then, the daughter of Kingman was successful in France when landing the Group 2 Prix Alec Head over the same trip at Deauville in August. Friendly Soul has won five of her six career starts, the only defeat coming in last year’s Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York, which ruled her out of a possible crack at the Betfred Oaks.

Tom Goff, who oversees owner George Strawbridge’s European bloodstock operation, said: “Friendly Soul looks great but is not running in the Lockinge at the weekend as the race has come a bit too soon. The plan is that she could run in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on May 29.

"Hopefully the plan after that would be Royal Ascot, where she could go for the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes."

Friendly Soul is a 14-1 chance for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, which the Gosdens won most recently with Mostahdaf in 2023. She is also a 16-1 shot for the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes if connections decide to revert to a mile. 

Prague (right) on the way to winning at Newmarket last yearCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The Dylan Cunha-trained Prague, who was a Group 2 winner last year, is among the Lockinge entries and looks set to make his first start since finishing down the field in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot in October.

On Friday, Prague came through a pleasing gallop under Jim Crowley, who will ride him at Newbury. Cunha is excited to see him return, although the Newmarket trainer knows how difficult the task will be with Dancing Gemini, Notable Speech and Rosallion among the opposition.

Cunha said: "He's doing well. It's been a long road back from Ascot when he was obviously disappointing. He's a big, strong horse. At Ascot he didn't get any cover and after a furlong it was already over for him. Hopefully on Saturday he'll get some cover and run on.

"We're trying to get him back out and going for the season. He's done a lot of work, and ideally it would have been nice to go to Sandown beforehand and get a run into him, but we couldn't.

"It looks like the hottest Lockinge I've seen in a long time and the strongest race he's ever faced, even stronger than Ascot, so he's going to have to up his game. He'll like a bit more rain, although it doesn't look like it will come, but we're looking forward to it."

Rosallion, who is trained by Richard Hannon and favourite for the Group 1, is set to make his first start for 11 months after winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes.

Rosallion: set to return to action in the LockingeCredit: Patrick McCann

The four-year-old was a late absentee from the Group 1 Sussex Stakes at Goodwood, a race in which Notable Speech, who he is set to meet again, came out on top. He was then forced to miss the remainder of the season due to a respiratory infection, so this will be his first outing since defeating Henry Longfellow by a neck at the royal meeting.

Dancing Gemini is also on course to be involved after following up his Listed Doncaster Mile victory with an impressive win in the Group 2 bet365 Mile at Sandown last month.

Tamfana, who Roger Teal's stable star defeated that day, was also confirmed at the five-day stage, while Checkandchallenge, Fallen Angel, Lead Artist, Persica and Storm Star complete the ten entries.

Boylesports Lockinge Stakes (2.35 Newbury, Saturday)
Paddy Power: 15-8 Rosallion, 11-4 Dancing Gemini, 9-2 Notable Speech, 11-2 Tamfana, 12 Fallen Angel, 16 Persica, 25 Lead Artist, 33 Prague, 50 Storm Star, 100 Checkandchallenge

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