Accidental Agent has Lockinge target

Turf campaign is priority for 2018 Queen Anne hero.

Eve Johnson Houghton has the Group One Lockinge Stakes pencilled in for stable favourite Accidental Agent.

The six-year-old has not won since his shock success in the 2018 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, where he prevailed by half a length despite going off at 33-1.

He was last seen in November contesting the Listed Hyde Stakes on Lingfield’s polytrack surface – a race which qualifies the winner for All-Weather Championship Finals Day at Lingfield on Good Friday.

Accidental Agent finished a two-length third, but Johnson Houghton intends to save him for the resumption of the turf season rather than continuing to campaign him on the all-weather – starting with a return to Newbury in May.

“We’ll start with the Lockinge and go from there – we haven’t planned for that (the All-Weather Championships),” she said.

An attempt to defend his Queen Anne title was marred last season when Accidental Agent refused to leave the stalls and took no part.

He has shown no reluctance since, however, with his trainer confident that the issue has subsided.

“It hasn’t reappeared,” she said.

“He’s sometimes a little bit slow, but that’s all – he’s all right now.”

The son of Delegator, who finished third behind Sir Michael Stoute’s Mustashry in last year’s Lockinge, was gelded after his latest run.

That decision indicates his racing career is to be extended, with Johnson Houghton confirming that connections “hope for many more seasons” from their top-flight winner.

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