Lightning strike in Lockinge would be perfect start to the season

Last year at Trillium Place was topped by the Britannia Stakes victory of Bless Him and Group successes for Mystic Dawn, Breton Rock, Lightning Spear and Desert Encounter. There weren't quite as many winners as in recent seasons, but Mr Owen kept the flag flying through the winter and David Simcock goes into the new campaign in good heart.

"Last year wasn't good for us numerically," he says, "but we were delighted with our prize-money and we're not a strike-rate yard at all, so I was happy with the way things turned out. I do like accumulating prize-money, even if we're not quite good enough to win.

"Up until Goodwood it was going great but we had a barren time of it in August and September. We had a bad three-year-old year and suddenly that equates to a very weak four-year-old department, whereas normally we have plenty of late-developing horses.