Local trainers score well on Newbury's biggest flat race day - but the big race goes to an outsider
Belardo winning the Lockinge Stakes (Photo: Newbury Racecourse)Before a record crowd, in brilliant sunshine and with the ground drying all afternoon, Godolphin took Newbury's biggest flat race prize on Saturday (May 14) - the Class One Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes - with a brilliant run by Belardo under Andrea Atzeni.
Belardo was an eight-to-one chance for the race on Newbury's straight mile. In the words of an expert he "...messed up the start" veering left as he left the stalls. But the ground - good, good to soft in places - seems to have suited him well.
Afterwards his trainer, Roger Varian told reporters: "Belardo has got a very good turn of foot and is a talented horse - he's shown that today...We'll stick to the big mile races and hopefully this is just the start."
The fancied Kodi Bear only managed seventh place in the twelve strong field. For the Racing Post David Orton described his race as 'puzzling': "He didn't look happy under pressure and was held prior to being tight for room." Perhaps he just did not like the fast-drying ground.
In three other races on Newbury's Lockinge Day card, local trainers took the honours.
In the first race Mehmas - trained by Richard Hannon in Marlborough (East Everleigh) - was ridden home by Frankie Detttori for a three-and-a-quarter length win over the seven finishers. And Dettori obliged with one of his winner's enclosure leaps from the saddle.
Andrea Atzeni with the cup - Roger Varian at left 
Frankie's flying dismount from Mehmas 
Richard Hannon talks reporters through his win in the Toronado
The Hannon yard made it a double when Godolphin owned Log Out Island won the six furlong Toronado Carnarvon Stakes - another three-and-a-quarter length victory.
The five-year-old Ayrad, trained by Roger Charlton at Beckhampton, had come second in the one-and-a-half-mile Al Rayyan Stakes., but a later race gave the Beckhampton trainer a fine win.
The one mile and two furlong Al Zubarah London Gold Cup is often seen as setting patterns for the rest of the season. Charlton trained horses have won this race twice in recent years - the great Al Kazeem in 2011 and last year Time Test.
Imperial Aviator before the race Beckhampton's Imperial Aviator - carrying the Qatar Racing silks for the first time - stormed home under Oisin Murphy to a four-and-a-half length victory.
Charlton was impressed with the colt: "I wouldn't compare Imperial Aviator with previous horses, but every time he he's run he's improved."
Three weeks before Imperial Aviator had beaten possible Derby contender Ulysses in a competitive maiden stakes at Leicester. Now he is probably heading to the Tercentenary Stakes at Ascot - following the path of Time Test who won that race last year.
The weather has not been kind to Newbury so far this season - with one meeting lost to the rain.
The course having been 'good to firm' early in the week, Newbury Racecourse staff suffered a nervy few days - the rain kept coming leaving the course 'heavy in places'.
At one point after 35 millimetres of rain in twenty-four hours, it looked as they might even lose Friday's card. But the ground was drying out all day on Saturday - ending up 'Good (good to soft in places)'.