Lochiel is on a pontentially lenient handicap mark in the 2.40 at Newcastle and looks decent value at 7/1 to take advantage and land the spoils.
The gelding has not scored since landing back-to-back successes in 2009, beating Overturn in a class 3 contest at Haydock off a mark of 86 and following up in a similar grade at Newmarket where he scored by 4 1/2 lengths off 87.
However he now gets into this off a career-low of just 52, and has shown enough in two runs this season to suggest that he retains enough ability to win a class 5 affair like this despite being aged 9.
In the first of those runs, his first after 595 days on the sidelines, he kept on in pleasing style to finish a never nearer 5th of 10 to King Of Paradsie at Hamilton without being knocked about.
He then backed up that effort last time out at Hamilton where he showed far more early dash to chase the leaders until being pushed along two from home and weakening a furlong out to finish a 4 3/4 length fifth of 7 to Wadacre Sarko.
Those two runs should have blow away the cobwebs and put him spot on and he is now upped in trip to 1m 6f, the distance over which he beat Overturn.
He also has winning form to his name with cut in the ground, and if he can build on his latest efforts is simply too well-treared to ignore in this line-up from his current mark.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 2pts win Lochiel (7/1 generally available – use BOG firms)
