Kevin Blake's Big Race Verdict: Gemini can have punters Dancing in Lockinge Stakes

• Group 1 Lockinge a great clash of the older milers

• Rosallion might not be at his best with Royal Ascot in mind

• Kevin Blake fancies Dancing Gemini in his Big Race Verdict

Timeform Superboost

Last year's Irish 2000 Guineas and St James' Palace winner Rosallion is a strong favourite to win today's Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury (14:35), and if you fancy the high class 4yo to finish in the first two today you can back him at the super-boosted price of 1/12.00, from 8/131.61.

Rosallion has finished in the first two in six of his seven career starts (third in the other) and looks to have excellent claims today with his trainer reporting that he's expecting a big run. To take advantage of this superboost just click on the odds in the below bet banner to go directly to the pre-loaded betslip.

*Please Note:  This superboost is provided by the Betfair Sportsbook and not by any of our tipsters or writers.

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One of the very best Group 1s for older milers

The Lockinge Stakes (14:35) has long been established as the first major battleground for the top older milers in Europe and it has produced some epic performances down through the decades.

It's hard to believe that 22 years have passed since Hawk Wing produced one of the most mind-bending performances one will ever see in this race and it is 13 years since the peerless Frankel destroyed Excelebration to kick off his legendary four-year-old campaign.

There have been too many memorable renewals before, in between and since those contests to recall them individually, but you get the picture. This is a proper race.

This year's renewal looks to be well up to scratch. It will be headlined by the return of two of the very best three-year-old milers from last season, the Charlie Appleby-trained Notable Speech and the Richard Hannon-trained Rosallion.

It is anything but a two-horse race though and the opposition to them is headed by the rising force in the division the Roger Teal-trained Dancing Gemini as well as two Group 1-winning fillies in Fallen Angel and Tamfana. 

Good pace likely

From a pace perspective, the race looks likely to be run at an even tempo at a minimum. Fallen Angel (5) has made much of the running in two of her last three starts, including when winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas last season. She looks the likeliest leader. Persica (8) switched to more prominent tactics over 9f last time and produced a career-best effort, so he can be expected to be prominent again back over this slightly shorter trip.

Tamfana (6) was ridden with patience on her return to action last time, but produced most of her best efforts last season when prominent and even pushing the pace, so it wouldn't surprise to see her revert to more prominent tactics here. Dancing Gemini (1) has generally raced prominently since returning to a mile, but could potentially be ridden a little bit quieter than that back up at Group 1 level and drawn on the wing.

Checkandchallenge (4) can often get prominent and looks likely to get handy here with race fitness in his favour. Lead Artist (3) usually gets handy. Rosallion (7) and Notable Speech (9) both seem best suited by patient rides and seem likely to be ridden that way on their seasonal returns. Prague (2) has shown his best form when ridden with patience.

Royal Ascot perhaps the main target for the jolly

With all that in mind, I'm inclined to take on what might well be the best horse in the field, the Richard Hannon-trained Rosallion.

The son of Blue Point proved himself to be top class as a three-year-old, but his season was cut short by an injury. While Hannon is likely to have plenty done with him, one suspects that he'll have one eye on the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and won't want him to have an overly-hard race here, so that makes him look opposable to me at what is quite a short price.

Career-best performance on the cards for Teal runner

The one that makes the most appeal against him is the Roger Teal-trained Dancing Gemini.

The son of Camelot has shaped with distinct Group 1 promise since he was a two-year-old, but it has taken his connections time to work him out. While he has always displayed mechanics most typically associated with a miler, he spent the middle part of last season trying much longer trips in both the Derby and the Eclipse.

He started this season back at a mile and has looked much more comfortable, securing impressive wins in Listed company at Doncaster and in Group 2 company at Sandown last time.

Mind, I still don't think we've seen him at his very best, as I feel that his attributes will be best suited to a quieter ride over a mile that seeks to use his turn of foot later in the race.

Ryan Moore takes over in the saddle and with him being drawn on a wing, Moore might well be tempted to execute such tactics. If he does, I could see him produce a career-best effort and make a very bold bid for his first Group 1 victory.

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