ROGER Charlton is gearing up Captain Cat for a tilt at the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes at Newbury on May 16.

The Beckhampton trainer is hoping the dual Group Three winner can pick up some of the valuable prize money on offer in the Group One over the straight mile.

Charlton admits things went wrong for Captain Cat, winner of the Ladbrokes All-Weather Mile Championship at Lingfield in 2014, at the end of last year.

"We slightly messed up on him because he ran at Kempton in the autumn. He needed to run three times to qualify for the (all-weather) championship races although he had won one last year and unfortunately there just wasn't a chance to qualify him," Charlton told At The Races.

"We made the error of going to Hong Kong where he ran badly so it messed the season up a bit. I felt he could possibly have won the race again this year.

"Yes, it's the Lockinge. It's going to take a miracle to win the Lockinge, but he could easily finish second, third or fourth. The race might suit him.

"The prize-money has nearly been doubled this year so we'll have a go at some of that."

Meanwhile, Al Kazeem is on course to bid for a fourth Group One success in he Prix Ganay at Longchamp on May 3.

The seven-year-old, a winner three times at the top level in 2013, returned to racing late last year after proving subfertile at stud, although he did get some mares in foal.

He showed he still retained plenty of ability in winning a Group Three at Windsor and finishing second in the Champion Stakes at Ascot and he made a successful seasonal reappearance in the Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp earlier this month.

"I didn't think he was fit, but he was good enough to beat them anyway, because he was 18 kilos heavier than when he won the Group Three at Windsor in August, so maybe there's better to come," Charlton said.

"The owner would very much like to win another Group One and the next one that comes up that should suit would be the Prix Ganay which is on the Sunday of the 1000 Guineas.

"It's an extra half-furlong, if the ground was soft, which I think suits him, he would go there with a favourite's or second favourite's chance. That's the idea.

"(Owner) Mr (John) Deer's horses are at Oakgrove Stud which is opposite Chepstow racecourse. I imagine when the horse has had enough of racing, which is not apparent yet, he'd go down there and cover his mares and other people's mares and hope he's as fertile or more fertile.

"There are 25 foals due this year and the reports of the ones that have already been born are really encouraging so there is nothing to be lost by trying again."