New Seeking For Group Glory

New Seeker looks set to seek his fortune in Group races this campaign following two big handicap wins and a Listed success last season.

The six-year-old, owned by the Elite Racing Club, won the Royal Hunt Cup and the totesport International last summer before stepping up in class to take the Dubai Duty Free Cup at Newbury.

The Clive Cox-trained gelding has been given an entry in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes over a mile back at Newbury on May 20 ? a race that could see Soviet Song, who is in the same ownership, make her seasonal debut.

'We thought we'd give New Seeker an entry. We are very happy with him and in the early part of the season there aren't many options for him,' said Elite racing manager Matthew Budden.

'We thought we'd at least put him in and have a look.

'He's well forward and there's not much to run him in at this stage. We did have him in a race in Ireland last week but the ground was too soft for him. He wants decent ground so we swerved that.

'He should be ready to go when we find something on decent ground and if all goes well we may look at the Lockinge.

'We may be forced to go for Group races with New Seeker. He won his Listed race well after he won at Royal Ascot and the totesport International.

'We have to look at those kind of races and I think through the summer we would look at some nice races for him.'

However, Budden virtually ruled out running both New Seeker and Soviet Song in the Lockinge.

'They are both in the Lockinge but I'm not sure they would go there together,' he added.

'They are certainly worthy of an entry at this stage.'

(C) PA Sport