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FIVE facts you never knew about the Lockinge Stakes, run over a mile at Newbury

The race was first run in 1958 and named after a former civil parish, north of Newbury Frankel won the Queen Anne Stakes and Lockinge in the same year (2012) Lester Piggott has won the race six times as a jockey, Sir Michael Stoute seven times as a trainer Godolphin have won the race eight times as owners, including four in the past five years The race has Group 1 status but has been Group 2 and Group 3 level in its history THEY say a week is a long time in politics, as it is in horseracing — seven days to be exact.

But it’s fair to say it’s been a bad few months for the integrity of sport in Australia.

First there was the ball-tampering scandal in cricket quickly followed by a widespread doping scandal in horseracing.

Eight racing professionals Down Under were found guilty of giving banned raceday treatments to horses before more than 100 races.

Doping was so widespread and so brazen that an investigation was launched after a man was seen inserting a syringe into the mouth of a mare immediately before a Group 1 event at Flemington in Melbourne.

The fact that jellyfish have survived for 650million years despite not having brains lends hope for the next generation of Australian trainers.

British racing has had its fair share of doping violations but let’s hope there won’t be many more cases coming to light this year.