Saturday’s (18 May) G1 Lockinge Stakes over Newbury’s straight 1600m is the third domestic top-level race of the 2024 Great British racing season and it features an intriguing rematch between two of the world’s best milers.

When French-trained Big Rock and England’s Inspiral met for a straight 1600m Group 1 encounter - the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville last August - it was Inspiral who pounced for victory under an inspired Frankie Dettori.

The pair’s reputations grew to even loftier heights with Inspiral victorious in two subsequent 2023 Group 1s, latterly delivering another electrifying late punch in Santa Anita’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (2000m).

As for Big Rock, his staggering six length front-running demolition of 10 rivals in last October’s G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot – also over a straight 1600m – earned him a mark of 127 and thus the accolade of being the world’s highest rated miler in the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse rankings. And the value of that performance reads even better given that second-placed Facteur Cheval’s next start was victory in March’s G1 Dubai Turf (1800m) at Meydan.

The distinguished history of the Lockinge Stakes points to the domination of four-year-olds such as Big Rock, with ten of the past 12 winners coming from that age group.

Only recently has Big Rock been moved from the high-profile stable of Christopher Head to that of the lesser-known Chantilly yard of Maurizio Guarnieri.

Guarnieri says: “He is a magnificent horse and I am getting to know him. He is not demonstrative in his work but he has done everything I have asked of him so far, though no more.”

Despite the stable move Big Rock will be ridden as usual by Aurelien Lemaitre with the trainer adding: “All his fast work is now done and it is a real help to have Aurelien ride him in his important gallops. He’s a big horse and I expect him to improve for racecourse competition but Aurelian has reassured me that he is working normally.”

Big Rock – blessed with electrifying gate speed - is best on slow ground while John & Thady Gosden-trained Inspiral – who will be ridden in public by Kieran Shoemark for the first time – ideally wants quicker conditions. Brilliant though both have proved to be – leaving from gates nine and one this weekend - they will be having their first racecourse encounters for 210 and 196 days, respectively, so despite their edge in ratings, must overcome some race-hardened and gifted opponents.

Charyn has struck up an impressive 2024 partnership with Silvestre de Sousa gaining a victory at Doncaster and then in Group 2 company over this trip at Sandown when getting the better of Poker Face, who pairs with James Doyle. But the latter - who had some classy winning form in France last autumn - is 3lb better off at the weights this time and also lacked the match fitness of the winner at Sandown.

Witch Hunter is an interesting outsider given that some of the 11 contenders seem sure to make this a fast-run encounter. Sean Levey’s mount needs to come late as he did when winning a 1400m Group 2 here at Newbury last August.