The Niarchos Family's Karakontie (Jpn) (Bernstein), winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Mile and G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains, is expected to open his 4-year-old campaign in the G1 Lockinge S. at Newbury May 16.
“Karakontie has wintered well and the Al Shaqab Lockinge S. is the race we are looking at,” said Alan Cooper, racing manager to the Niarchos Family, after the race's 36 initial entries were revealed Wednesday. “We will obviously have to see nearer the time but we feel he is a horse who needs good ground so he may well make his reappearance at Newbury. We have also entered a pacemaker, Maximum Velocity.”
After winning the French 2000 Guineas last May, Karakontie finished eighth when stepped up to 10 1/2 furlongs for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, and he checked in 11th in the seven furlong G1 Prix de la Foret Oct. 5 prior to the Breeders' Cup.
“Karakontie won very well at the Breeders' Cup and there was no fluke about his performance in America,” Cooper added. “After he won the French 2000 Guineas, we got him ready for the Prix du Jockey Club but he did not appreciate the extra distance and it took him a long time to get over it. He was not really sparking and it was not until the second half of September that he really began to flourish again.”
Cooper said later season objectives for the Jonathan Pease trainee will be the G1 Queen Anne S. at Royal Ascot, the G1 Sussex S. and the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois.
Other entries for the Lockinge include California Chrome (Lucky Pulpit), Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro), Night of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Integral (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.