Uttoxeter Preview: Lochnagar can strike on handicap debut

The lightly-raced and unexposed Lochnagar looks weighted to take all the beating on handicap debut in the 2m hurdle at Uttoxeter today (1.20).

The gelding had some useful form on the flat when trained in Germany, winning twice and being placed on several occasions to earn an official rating of 80.

Lochnagar then joined trainer Venetia Williams at the start of the year and has shaped with bags of promise in four runs over hurdles without being knocked about.

The five-year-old particularly caught the eye on his third start when fourth of 16 to the now 130-rated Chase The Wind at Wincanton, and shaped like a sure fire future winner last time out when fifth of 14 to Taj Badalandabad at Chepstow.

The latter was Lochnanagr’s first run for 196 days, and the son of Sholokhov travelled strongly up with the pace until weakening to from home to be beaten 21 lengths.

Jockey Aidan Coleman allowed Lochnagar to come home in his own time once it was clear he would not be winning, and the winner is a useful sort who has gone on to follow-up in good style under a penalty to give the form a solid look.

Lochanagar has been allotted an opening mark of 112 on the back of that effort, and that could well underestimate his ability.

To me he looks the tyoe who could take off in handicaps, and this looks a lovely opening for Lochnagar to notch a first success over the obstacles.

In the 2m 4f handicap hurdle (2.50), Arden Denis could be thrown-in at the weights judged on his debut run in a bumper.

The Tom Symonds trained gelding finished a keeping on five length third of 10 to Monbeg Theatre at Market Rasen, and the winner is a useful sort who has won his last two races over hurdles and is now rated 124.

The runner up Gone Forever is also held in high regard and went on to bolt up on hurdling debut by nine lengths.