next appearance he was up in distance to six furlongs for the Northumberland Sprint Trophy at Newcastle and winning by a length from the Stewards' Cup-winner Import. When starting favourite for the Ayr Gold Cup in September he finished third, beaten a short head and half a length by Roman Warrior (who carried top weight of 140 pounds) and Import. On his final appearance of the season Lochnager carried a weight of 125 pounds in the Bovis Handicap over five furlongs at Ascot. He looked "magnificent" before the race and dominated the race to win "very impressively" by three lengths from Import. 1976: four-year-old season Lochnager began his third season by finishing fifth in a handicap at York and then finished second over the same distance in a minor at Thirsk but was never beaten again. In May was moved up in class to contest his first Group race, the Temple Stakes over five furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse. Matched against Roman Warrior at level weights he started at odds of 5/1 and produced his best performance up to that time taking the lead approaching the final furlong and drawing away to win by two lengths. Lochnager then started the 6/4 favourite in a field of thirteen runners for the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot after being backed down from 5/2 in "one of the biggest gambles seen at Ascot for years" and produced another impressive performance. He was among the leaders from the start, opened up a clear advantage and held the late challenge of the French-trained filly Realty to win by three-quarters of a length. Timeform described his victory as a "sparkling display". Remembering the race in 2002, Mick Easterby, speaking his distinctive Yorkshire dialect said "Lochnager was such a good 'oss and so strongly fancied, I don't think I've ever been so nervous before a race. I couldn't stop sweatin', just thinking about it. The one thing I told [Hide], over and over again, was not to come too soon. Lochnager was an 'oss with all the gears. What made him so brilliant was that he was so switched off - he'd pick grass on't side of a gallop at home while others galloped past him. But when you asked him to pick up in a race, he was like a Ferrari in overdrive, he had an unbelievable burst of speed. I couldn't watch t'race from