Breeders' Cup winner Karakontie among strong Lockinge entry at Newbury

Breeders' Cup Mile hero Karakontie could start off his 2015 campaign in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 16.

Jonathan Pease's four-year-old, who also enjoyed Classic success in the French 2,000 Guineas, is one of five French-trained contenders for the Newbury race over a straight mile.

A pacemaker, Maximum Velocity, was also among 36 entries for the first Group One race of the year in the UK, open to older horses.

Alan Cooper, racing manager to Karakontie's owner the Niarchos Family, said: "Karakontie has wintered well and the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is the race we are looking at.

"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.

"Karakontie won very well at the Breeders' Cup and there was no fluke about his performance in America. After he won the French 2,000 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. He got massacred in the Foret but kept improving and in California he was in top form.

"The objective after the Lockinge Stakes will be the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot. Then you have got races like the Sussex Stakes and the Prix Jacques Les Marois - essentially he will be kept to the top mile races."

The French-trained contenders for the Lockinge are completed by Group One winner Ectot (Elie Lellouche), last season's French 2,000 Guineas runner-up Prestige Vendome (Nicholas Clement) and high-class filly Bawina (Carlos Laffon-Parias).

The international flavour doesn't end there with America's 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome (Art Sherman) among those entered on Wednesday.

The four-year-old won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes impressively last year, though he was beaten in his bid for the US Triple Crown when going down by two lengths to Tonalist in the Belmont Stakes over a mile and a half.

California Chrome subsequently finished third in the 10-furlong Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita, beaten a nose and a neck, and made his first start of 2015 when runner-up to Prince Bishop in the Dubai World Cup, also over 10 furlongs on dirt, at Meydan on March 28.

He won on his only appearance on turf, capturing the Grade One Hollywood Derby over nine furlongs at Del Mar in November and could make his European debut in the Lockinge.

Another US-trained entry is Mshawish (Todd Pletcher), successful in a nine-furlong Grade One turf contest at Gulfstream Park in February and third in the Group One Dubai Turf over the same distance at Meydan on March 28.

Ireland's champion trainer Aidan O'Brien gained victory in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes with the impressive Hawk Wing in 2003 and has entered last season's Diamond Jubilee Stakes runner-up Due Diligence plus Cougar Mountain and Oklahoma City.

Britain's champion trainer Richard Hannon sent out Olympic Glory to claim the spoils last year in his first season with a training licence and is likely to run last year's QIPCO 2000 Guineas victor Night Of Thunder and Toormore, who was Europe's champion two-year-old in 2013.

Other high-profile entries include Integral (Sir Michael Stoute) and Rizeena (Clive Brittain), who are both dual Grade One winners.

Harry Herbert, Racing Advisor to Al Shaqab Racing, commented: "The Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes is the focal point of a hugely valuable and important international raceday.

"I am delighted that the strength of this year's entries from around the world provides such an outstanding vote of confidence in the race."

The mile contest on turf is the early season highlight for older horses and boasts a much-improved prize fund of £350,000, 64 per cent up on last year's £214,000.