Two-runner fields at the wedding and Wembley but the Lockinge is packed deep

At Windsor and Wembley the focus of the world's attention is on events containing two-runner fields.

The royal wedding and FA Cup Final will grab the greatest global attention but at Newbury the prime attraction is far from a match. The Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is chock full of runners and interest.

On Wednesday, Knavesmire racegoers saw only five horses contest the Duke of York Stakes. That was surely because Harry Angel, a standout sprinting star, frightened off the opposition. Flip the coin and you get the answer to why the latest Lockinge looks more like a cavalry charge.

As spring moves towards summer there is no single heavyweight among the older milers. There are many fine horses but none could yet be called fantastic. That may change when the stalls crash open for the £350,000 Group 1 highlight of Newbury's Flat calendar.

A four-strong challenge is being sent from Ballydoyle, headed by Ryan Moore's mount Rhododendron. The Prix de l'Opera heroine drops down in trip. Moving up in trip are Librissa Breeze, winner of last season's British Champions Sprint, and seven-furlong specialist Limato, having another go at a distance and race that has hitherto foiled him.

A mile, however, is nothing new to Addeybb, who followed up his Lincoln triumph with a Group 2 success at Sandown, or Beat The Bank, such a progressive force last year. Add in the likes of Zabeel Prince, Suedois and Dutch Connection – whose Godolphin owners have won the last three runnings – and you have a Lockinge that is deep, difficult and enthralling.

Two Crystals for the two knights

It could be a big day at Newbury for two knights and their two Crystals.

Sir Michael Stoute saddles Crystal Ocean in the Group 3 Al Rayyan Stakes, better known as the Aston Park, before close relative Crystal Hope sports the same Sir Evelyn de Rothschild silks, again under Ryan Moore, in the Haras de Bouquetot Fillies' Stakes.

Both horses are set to start favourite, but last season's St Leger second Crystal Ocean will be a particularly warm order, given he won Sandown's Gordon Richards Stakes on his reappearance and has the look of a textbook Stoute-trained older-horse star.

"I was pleased with the Sandown performance," said Stoute. "We're going up to a mile and a half this time and he seems in really good shape.

"He had a nice year in 2017, when he was very consistent, so let's hope he progresses again this year."

Crystal Ocean boasts a plethora of Group 1 entries, unlike Crystal Hope, currently engaged in only the Ribblesdale Stakes. However, when scoring on the same Sandown card as Crystal Ocean she defeated this week's Musidora Stakes winner Give And Take, which means another success might have people talking about a possible Investec Oaks supplementary entry.

Crystal Hope defeated subsequent Musidora Stakes winner Give And Take on her reappearanceCredit: Edward Whitaker

Stoute, however, prefers to take one race at a time, and on Friday was saying nothing about possible targets for either horse.

"Why don't we get Saturday over first – that's the way we play it," he said, before talking about Crystal Hope.

"She's a filly who doesn't excite us at home, but we don't mind that," he said.

"She's going to have very different conditions this time and we'll just have to see how she handles the fast ground. That was a good performance at Sandown, though. It pleased me a lot."

Stat of the Day

Frankie Dettori boasts a 33 per cent strike-rate (12-36) aboard juveniles at Newbury in the past five seasons.

Frankie Dettori will hope to have good reason to execute another Newbury flying dismountCredit: Mark Cranham

He partners Hugo Palmer's debutant Almufti, owned by race sponsor Al Shaqab Racing, in the Olympic Glory Conditions Stakes (4.15).

Chelsea's Spence hoping for a win double

Chelsea vice-chairman Alan Spence is hoping to land a major win double, with his colours due to be carried by Connect in Newbury's Al Zubarah London Gold Cup two and a half hours before his football team meets Manchester United in the FA Cup Final.

Spence was also at Wembley 12 months ago. On that occasion Chelsea lost, but the owner had earlier been a winner when his star sprinter Priceless captured the Temple Stakes.

Wembley is much closer to Newbury than Haydock but, having looked into the possibility of dashing from one place to the other, Spence has settled on supporting Connect from afar.

Alan Spence could be a winner at Newbury and WembleyCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Sadly, I'm not going to be at Newbury," he said. "I did look into doing both but the train from the racecourse at 3.36pm doesn't get into Paddington until just before 5pm, so realistically I wouldn't get to Wembley until about 5.45pm, which is after the match has started.

"I think it'll be a very close game, but as long as we win I don't care. I don't have anything to do as vice-president. I can just enjoy the day and I get a decent seat as well!"

Spence will watch Connect on his iPad and hopes to see a performance that earns the Clive Cox-trained three-year-old a trip to Royal Ascot.

"He's a decent horse but has top weight, so it won't be easy," added Spence. "This trip should be ideal, but if he's going to run in the Hampton Court Stakes, which is the plan, he'll need to go well at Newbury."

Justify's Triple Crown journey continues

If staying in is indeed the new going out there is another good excuse to remain at home, rip open the Maltesers and enjoy some fine televisual entertainment.

Last Saturday it was the punting puzzle that is the Eurovision Song Contest. This time we have the Preakness Stakes, in which Justify attempts to follow up his dazzling triumph in the Kentucky Derby and continue on his way towards giving trainer Bob Baffert a second Triple Crown in three years.

"We just need some racing luck," said Baffert, whose latest champion is guaranteed to start a long odds-on favourite.

At The Races will give British and Irish viewers the chance to enjoy the excellent NBC coverage, with the feature race coming up at 11.48pm.

That will be shortly after racegoers have belted out the Preakness theme, Maryland, My Maryland, a song set to the tune used most famously for that great socialist standard The Red Flag, an anthem yet to be heard at Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood or the annual general meeting of the National Trainers Federation.

So many royal wedding winning options

The racing town of Windsor stages an early aperitif to its latest Monday night fixture when Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle in a noon ceremony.

While the concept of a coincidence bet will almost certainly not appeal to Tom Segal or Paul Kealy, there will be some punters prepared to make a royal wedding investment.

The obvious place to start is According To Harry (3.25 Bangor). The groom in question is clearly a Lucky Lucky Man (3.15 Newmarket), but many royal watchers outside St George's Chapel will no doubt be thinking He's Amazing (3.00 Newbury), while his new American bride could be viewed by her admirers as Oh So Sassy (5.35 Newmarket).

It's a big day for Prince HarryCredit: Charlie Crowhurst

During the ceremony a Loyal Promise (3.00 Newbury) will be made in front of a Clergyman (6.10 Thirsk), while the watching congregation will be a Sea Of Class (4.50 Newbury) and might even include a Barron's Lad (6.10 Thirsk).

At the post-wedding reception it is highly unlikely any of the guests will be presented with a Barbill (4.15 Newbury), although when Prince Charles comes to pay for the food, drinks and bunting it is to be hoped he will not see the final cost and exclaim Ripp Orf (5.25 Newbury).

Sadly, there is not a single suitable race on Saturday for Splash Of Ginge.

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