The Alan King trained Elgin has only been seen once since 2018 but is now set to for a big season on the flat with the Yorkshire Ebor Handicap set to be his big target with King holding some superb entries in the race including Trueshan.
The eight year old was a prolific hurdler in his day finishing a bold fifth in the 2018 Champion Hurdle but since then has been tried on the flat but has never seemed to show his best efforts.
He was a 161 rated hurdler and if converting that to the flat can be very useful with not massive amounts of mileage on the clock and that could be the difference in the Ebor.
Elgin follows in the footsteps of Yanworth, Mille Chief and Katchit by winning the Betway-sponsored Kingwell Hurdle @wincantonraces for trainer Alan King.
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 17, 2018
Results ➡️ https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/s7dEHoAyqx
(Credit At The Races) King said: “We were trying to get him up the weights to get into the Ebor, but he disappointed when favourite for a Newmarket handicap and had to have a long time off.
“I’d be inclined to put a line through his recent comeback run over hurdles at Kempton considering his absence, but that should have blown away the cobwebs and I’m hopeful there’s a big handicap in him, over a mile and a half to a mile and six furlongs.”
Elgin is now rated 149 over obstacles and only 98 on the flat which looks to be a very workable mark for a horse of his experience in decent contests and on his four previous starts on the flat he has won two of them.
“In hindsight the ground was too quick for him that day at Newmarket,” added King.
“He’s a big, heavy horse who carries a lot of condition, so ideally wants good to soft or easier.”
Elgin although eying up the Ebor will need to go up 5lb in the handicap before he can be entered into the contest, where as King's other chance Trueshan already has a rating of 109 and will certainly contest the event.