California Chrome on target for European debut in Lockinge

California Chrome is on schedule for a European debut in the $522,550 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury Racecourse in England on May 16, trainer Art Sherman said Thursday.

The 2014 Horse of the Year has been based at trainer Rae Guest’s stable at Newmarket, England, for the last two weeks, following a second-place finish to Prince Bishop in the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates on March 28.

The 4-year-old California Chrome was sent to England for a spring campaign at the insistence of majority owner Perry Martin. A California-bred, California Chrome is co-owned by breeders Martin and Steve Coburn.

The primary goal of California Chrome’s venture to England will be the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 17.

California Chrome will have his second career start on turf in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes over a straightaway mile. He won the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on turf at Del Mar last November, his most recent victory.

“I think they’re trying to go for that,” Sherman said of the Lockinge.

Sherman said he was satisfied with California Chrome’s condition after watching video taken by Guest’s team of the colt training this week.

Sherman said he has talked with Guest, “and he seems pretty pumped up. I hope the horse is happy.”

Sherman said his son and assistant trainer, Alan Sherman, will travel to England on May 3 for the Lockinge Stakes but will not travel to England before the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

California Chrome has won 9 of 18 starts and $6,322,650.

The Lockinge Stakes will be a stern test for California Chrome. The candidates include Karakontie, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita last November, and Integral, a 5-year-old mare who won two Group 1, one-mile races for fillies and mares at Newmarket Racecourse last year – the Falmouth Stakes in July and the Sun Chariot Stakes in October.

Trainer Richard Hannon Jr. has three potential runners – Night of Thunder, who won the English 2000 Guineas last year; Shifting Power, who won the Irish 2000 Guineas in 2014; and Toormore, third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot last October.