Galileo Gold heads nine runners for the Lockinge

Owned by the race sponsor, the Hugo Palmer-trained Galileo Gold will be making his seasonal bow in the Group One feature over a mile.

He will lock horns once again with Richard Fahey's Ribchester, one of three runners for Godolphin along with stablemate Toscanini and the Charlie Hills-trained Dutch Connection.

David Simcock is also double-handed with Lightning Spear and Breton Rock, while Aidan O'Brien fields Somehow, winner of the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket last time out.

Martyn Meade's Aclaim and Mitchum Swagger from David Lanigan's yard complete the line-up and Meade believes his charge has what it takes to upstage the more established names.

The four-year-old was a revelation when tried beyond six furlongs towards the end of last season and reeled off a hat-trick of wins at Ascot, Newbury and Newmarket. He saved the best for the last when landing the seven-furlong Group 2 Dubai 100 Challenge Stakes in fine style on the Rowley Mile.

Aclaim will be stepping into Group 1 company for the first time in the QIPCO British Champions Series contest but Meade believes his charge is more than ready to compete at the highest level.

The Newmarket-based trainer said: “He’s a little professional who has done everything well. All his work at home has been good, he’s not put a foot wrong.

“Jamie Spencer has sat on him once this year and was very pleased with the way he has progressed. His first comment was that he’s a much stronger horse than last season which was interesting because when you see and live with them every day they grow in front of you.”

Aclaim has an official rating of 114, which suggests he has to improve again to beat the likes of Ribchester (122) and Galileo Gold (121).

“You have to take the ratings into account but they are not the be-all and end-all because a horse like this can improve and, on the work I’ve seen at home, I’d say he has. I’ll be very surprised if he cannot improve another 5lb or 6lb.

“Ground wise he is very versatile. He’s such a well-put together, strong horse and I cannot believe it will be softer than when he had that really good win at Newbury.”

Aclaim is owned by Canning Downs, a stud based in Queensland who bred him. In the past they have watched from afar but not this time.

“It’s a double excitement because they are coming all the way over from Australia to see the race, so they are obviously optimistic,” Meade said. “They’ve not been over before, so let’s hope he runs well for them.”

Explaining the link, he added: “I’ve had broodmares with them here for a long time and it’s only now they are starting to race some of the progeny.”

Mitchum Swagger is likely to start the outsider of the field but David Lanigan, his trainer, says his soft-ground specialist should not be underestimated. 

Lanigan said: “He’s a soft ground horse and provided he gets his conditions he won’t disgrace himself. 

“There’s some top-class opposition but I’d like to think my record shows I don’t throw my horses in Group 1s for the day out. I would not be at all surprised if he ran into a place.”

“He’s only run two disappointing races in his career - once at Leicester when it was quickish ground and the other was on QIPCO British Champions Day in October when it was again on the fast side.”

“His reappearance run at Sandown [when fifth in the bet365 Mile at Sandown] has brought him on and his work has been a lot better than it was this time last year.”