Loughderg Rocco firing Festival dream for Laura Morgan

Leicester victor will be entered in novice events at Cheltenham.

Laura Morgan will ready promising novice chaser Loughderg Rocco for the Cheltenham Festival after his impressive success at her local track last week.

And the burgeoning Leicestershire stable could be doubly represented at the Prestbury Park track in March if Notlongtillmay builds upon his impressive display over fences at Musselburgh on Tuesday.

The Waltham On The Wolds handler saddled Loughderg Rocco to victory over Dan Skelton’s Unexpected Party in the two-and-a-half-mile Pertemps Network Novices’ Chase at Leicester, romping to a 12-length victory.

The odds-on runner-up had previously came up against Arkle favourite Jonbon and subsequent Grade Two scorer Boothill in the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown.

Having made all and stayed on strongly under Adam Wedge, Morgan feels Loughderg Rocco could be the real deal.

She said: “Hopefully he looks smart. He obviously went up 21lb for winning at Leicester and is rated 142 now.

“Obviously it wasn’t a shock because Skelton’s was rated 141.

“It was a fair run, but you could say Dan’s horse underperformed, but I love my horse. I’ve always held him in high regard and he’s a 10-times better chaser than he was over hurdles.”

Morgan says she will take things steadily with the seven-year-old Shirocco gelding, who has had just six races under Rules since winning a Fairyhouse point-to-point for Denis Murphy.

“You don’t want to push these babies,” Morgan added. “They get pushed in Irish point-to-points.

“We just wanted to give him a season, as it is really only his first season in training.

“He will get entries in the Turners and Brown Advisory at Cheltenham and then go for either/or.

“Let’s see what turns up and take it from there. Better ground would suit him – he is not a soft-ground horse.

“He is very exciting and hopefully he will take us to some big days.”

Notlongtillmay is another who is held in high regard by the trainer. A seven-year-old son of Malinas, he made it two-from-two over fences with a 16-length success in an extended two-and-a-half-mile novices’ chase at Musselburgh on Tuesday, winning by 16 lengths under 3lb claimer Patrick Cowley.

Adam Wedge steered Loughderg Rocco to an easy success at Musselburgh
Adam Wedge steered Loughderg Rocco to an easy success at Musselburgh (John Walton/PA)

Morgan is now pondering a crack at the Grand Annual at the Festival meeting.

“Notlongtillmay won and looked quite impressive,” she added. “He didn’t beat a great deal and Olly Murphy’s (Parliament Hill) unseated, but still, I think we have got quite a nice one there as well.

“Maybe he will go for a Grand Annual, I don’t know yet. We’ll see how far he goes.

“We have got some very nice horses coming through and keep upping the quality. We’re only a small yard, so it’s great.”

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