Ribchester wins Lockinge Stakes at Newbury for Godolphin

Ribchester has never been out of the first three in 11 races

Ribchester was an impressive winner of the Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury for owners Godolphin.

The 7-4 favourite, ridden by William Buick for trainer Richard Fahey, won by three and three-quarter lengths from Lightning Spear. Breton Rock was third.

It was a fourth Lockinge win in five seasons for Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin team.

Godolphin's intended pacemaker Toscanini broke slowly and Ribchester led all the way from the front.

Last year's 2,000 Guineas winner Galileo Gold appeared unsettled before the race and finished fifth.

Ribchester is expected to head to Royal Ascot in June and is about 7-4 favourite for the Queen Anne Stakes.

"I've got to say he's the best horse I've ever trained," said Fahey.

Buick, who received a five-day ban for a riding offence at York on Friday that rules him out of next month's Oaks and Derby at Epsom, said he had yet to decide whether to appeal.

Analysis

BBC racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght

Ribchester is apt to run too 'freely', thereby using up too much energy too early, and consequently a stablemate was employed to ensure the pace and hopefully calm things down.

However, that pacemaker, Toscanini, had a slow start and Ribchester ended up leading most of the way, something that might have caused all kinds of dramas.

However, here he looked quite the old pro, winning readily.