Mile should suit Damysus in Lockinge

NEWBURY – Damysus is continuing to get faster, say connections, as he bids for a first top-level success in the £400,000 (S$688,000) Group 1 Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes (1,600m) at Newbury on May 16.

Wathnan Racing’s leading prospect emerged as one of the key fancies for the race, when storming to an easy win in the Group 3 Earl of Sefton Stakes (1,800m) at Newmarket on April 15.

He is coming off a hot streak of three “black type” wins in a row, having previously claimed the Group 3 Darley Stakes (1,800m) at Newmarket on Oct 11, 2025 and the Listed Prix Nureyev (2,000m) at Deauville on Aug 17, 2025.

Wathnan’s go-to jockey James Doyle was aboard at the hat-trick of wins and will stick around for the Lockinge Stakes.

The John and Thady Gosden-trained Damysus was at some stage an early 2025 Epsom Derby favourite, but the Frankel colt ran last of 18 in the Group 1 Classic over 2,420m.

Instead, he will drop in distance to the mile for the first time.

There are no fears about Damysus’ speed from the Wathnan camp ahead of a clash with proven milers Notable Speech, The Lion In Winter and Zeus Olympios for trainers Charlie Appleby, Aiden O’Brien and Karl Burke respectively.

Wathnan’s racing manager Richard Brown said: “The Lockinge is a very prestigious race. He’s won his last three starts and is entitled to have a crack at a big one.

“We think he’s getting quicker as he gets older. We went down the Derby route last season, which didn’t work, but he’s seems to be a faster horse.

“It’ll be a big test going down in trip but up in class but we’re looking forward to seeing him run.

“It looks a great race, as you’d expect, with a deep competitive field.”

The Qatari operation will also field outsider Gladius, trained by Andrew Balding.

The Night Of Thunder colt was less than a length behind Damysus in the Darley Stakes before the operation purchased him privately.

He has not been seen since finishing second in the Qatar Derby over 2,000m in December.

“We took him over to Qatar to run in the Derby, but it didn’t quite pan out,” added Brown.

“He’s a colt that Andrew holds in high regard. This is a stiff ask but a nice place to get his season started.”

Balding also saddles top fancy Jonquil in the Lockinge, a race that has eluded him while his late father Ian won it twice (with Silly Season in 1966 and Selkirk in 1992).

A colt by Lope De Vega, Jonquil annexed the Group 3 Greenham Stakes (1,400m) in April 2025, in the lead-up to a gallant second in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (1,600m) at ParisLongchamp a month later.

He then struggled a little in his offshore raids in the US and Abu Dhabi in between a Group 2 success in the Celebration Mile (1,600m) at Goodwood last August before scoring first-up in the Listed Paradise Stakes (1,600m) at Ascot on May 1.

“He’s a horse we’ve always thought a lot of and one I’d hope he will prove very competitive in a Group 1 at some stage this year,” said Balding of Jonquil.

“We’ve had a couple of horses placed in the Lockinge before, so it’d be lovely as Newbury is our local track.”

RACING AND SPORTS