Pipedreamer a plausible alternative to the Lockinge favourite

TIRED of trying to make sense of the Epsom Derby picture? If so, today’s Newbury card offers some respite as the featured Group 1 Lockinge Stakes over a mile is confined to four-year-olds and older. In a race in which five of the last ten favourites have obliged, Richard Hannon’s Paco Boy looks a very solid market leader.

The horse returned to action this season when readily seeing off a decent field in the bet365 Mile at Sandown where he travelled beautifully throughout and quickened up to win easily. That was a sign that he could be better than ever this season and he’s virtually certain to be involved at the death.

Connections of third-placed The Cheka are optimistic about their chance of turning the tables and there’s a small degree of hope insofar as he’s extremely lightly raced and should be more suited to today’s straight mile than should the favourite. The concern is that he was doing all his best work in the closing stages and would be seen to best effect off a very strong pace which he’s not guaranteed to get today.