Palace Pier pounces for brilliant Lockinge victory

Dettori in cruise control as top miler stamps authority at Newbury.

Palace Pier showed a brilliant turn of foot to power to glory in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

One of last year’s pre-eminent milers, the John and Thady Gosden-trained colt returned to action in style last month at Sandown, tuning up perfectly for his latest Group One assignment.

Settled towards the rear of the pack as Lord Campari took them along, jockey Frankie Dettori was assessing dangers approaching two furlongs out – and, satisfied the time was right, he let the 1-2 favourite go about his business.

The response was electric – but runner-up Lady Bowthorpe ran the race of her life to make sure it was not just a procession.

In the end a comfortable length and a half was the winning margin, with Top Rank also emerging with plenty of credit in third, another five and a half lengths back.

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