Nearly horse Farhh bids to steal Lockinge spotlight

Dubai: He played second fiddle to the some of Europe’s best middle-distance horses last season. Now Godolphin’s Farhh bids to claim his share of the cake when he contests Saturday’s JLT Lockinge Stakes (G1) at Newbury.

Trained by Saeed Bin Surour, the son of Pivotal twice chased the great Frankel home in the Sussex Stakes (G1) and Juddmonte International (G1) and was also runner-up to dual Group 1 winner Nathaniel in the Eclipse. A frustrating season culminated in a narrow defeat by Moonlight Cloud in the Prix du Moulin (G1) at Longchamp, France last September.

Today, with Silvestre de Sousa back in the saddle, the five-year-old hopes to land his first victory in six starts and provide Bin Surour with a fifth success in the Lockinge, one of the annual highlights of the British season.

Bin Surour’s previous wins came through Creachadoir (2008), Aljabr (2000), Fly to the Stars (1999) and Cape Cross (1998).

Farhh lines up against 12 rivals headed by Irish Group 3 scorer Declaration Of War, the 2012 Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape, last year’s Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) heroine Beauty Parlour and Aljamaaheer, who represents Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

Commenting on the Darley-bred’s chances, Bin Surour told the Godolphin webstie: “Farhh had a small chip removed from his ankle after he ran in France and we gave him time to recover.

“He has been working nicely and seems happy and fresh, although he will improve for the run.

“I am hoping that there is some rain before Saturday because he prefers cut in the ground but I think that he will be fine on good going.

“It looks an open race and Cityscape looks the one to beat, but our horse is doing well and is a nice horse.”

The leading horses from the Lockinge Stakes often go on to compete in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, with Frankel being the last horse to win both races in 2012.

Cityscape represent Frankel’s owner Prince Khalid Abdullah and his trainer Roger Charlton said: “For obvious reasons we had to avoid Frankel and we wouldn’t have finished within many lengths of him, so we had to travel a lot, which is tough, but he always ran his race.

“This year he should have a clearer run at things. He’s run in seven countries and run up to form in each of them, with the odd exception. He has been frustratingly beaten on occasions, but he’s always maintained his level of form. There is a chance now in the mile division.”

Aidan O’Brien saddles two leading contenders including Declaration Of War, unbeaten in his last three starts, and Reply, while Listed Ascot winner Fencing represents champion trainer John Gosden.