Dubai: Having narrowly been denied a first international Group 1 victory of the season at France last week, top jockey James Doyle can gain compensation by landing the £350,000 (Dh1.73 million) Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on Saturday when he partners the much-fancied Addeybb.

Doyle finished a neck second aboard Hey Guman in the French 2,000 Guineas at Longchamp, but in Addeybb has a serious contender for Newbury’s marquee race, which is the first in the British Champions Series mile races.

This year’s renewal of the mile has attracted one of its strongest fields of 16 runners including five individual Group One winners. Rhododendron (2017 Prix de l’Opera Longines), Limato (Darley July Cup and Prix de la Foret in 2016), Librisa Breeze (2017 British Champions Sprint), Deauville (2016 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes) and Suedois (2017 Shadwell Turf Mile) have all succeeded at the highest level.

However, Addeybb, who is trained by Derby-winning handler William Haggas for Maj Gen Shaikh Ahmad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Head of Dubai Police and Public Security, bring solid form into the contest having won the Lincoln at Doncaster and Mile at Sandown in two rousing starts this season.

While the Lockinge represents a far bigger test for the four-year-old son of Pivotal, he certainly has the credentials to measure up having shown noteworthy improvement in both outings this year.

Haggas, who trains out of the Somerville Lodge in Newmarket, offered a note of caution while reflecting on the likely ground conditions at Newbury.

“The ground is an unknown and I suppose it’s our biggest worry because he’s so effective on slow ground,” said Haggas in Sportinglife.com. “You wonder whether he can be so effective, or whether he’s quick enough for a mile on faster ground. He’s quite a lazy horse [at home], deceptive. He just trudges along, so it’s difficult to know, but he looks great and his work has been good.”

Haggas, who is not known to rush his horses, assessed Addeybb’s first shot at a Group 1 contest: “He’s useful and gone up from a handicap to a Group 2, but he will have to step up to the plate now.

“We will be a lot wiser after Saturday about where we are in the future. I think he will get further and it may be that a mile on quicker ground is too sharp for him. He won over nine furlongs in the Silver Cambridgeshire [last season] and he looked like he was doing his best work at Sandown in the finish.

“It will be a very interesting race, for sure. Saturday might tell us he needs a mile and a quarter or he doesn’t need fast ground at all. We cannot make any plans beyond the one we’ve got.”

There are two other horses with Dubai connection in the race, among them Shaikh Mohammad Obaid Al Maktoum’s Zabeel Prince, who impressed when winning the Doncaster Mile Stakes on his seasonal debut in March and Dutch Connection, will attempt to give Godolphin with a fourth successive triumph in the race, and a ninth overall since 1998.

Godolphin won the race 12 months ago with Ribchester, who was ridden by William Buick for trainer Richard Fahey.

Recent Lockinge winners also include Canford Cliffs and the great Frankel with the winner almost certain to head to Royal Ascot for the Group 1 Queen Anne stakes next month.

At A Glance

At Newbury Racecourse, UK

What: Locking Stakes (Group 1)

When: Saturday, May 19 6.40pm (UAE)

Prize Money: £350,000

Runners: 16

Favourites: 7/2 Rhododendron, 9/2 Addeybb, Limato