Kiwi stayer hoping for Glorious Sydney Cup

G1 Sydney Cup (3200m) contender Glory Days. Photo credit: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

The pride of Waverley, Glory Days, has arrived in Sydney ahead of her tilt at Saturday’s A$2 million Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.

The lightly-framed stayer touched down on Tuesday evening and has pleased her trainer Bill Thurlow.

The last-start Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner is based at Richard Litt’s Warwick Farm stable and it will just be a case of maintenance work between now and Saturday.

“She has travelled over really well,” Thurlow said. “We’re very happy with her and she has eaten up and been drinking well, which is good to see.

“It is a nice spot here, it is very quiet, and Richard has been really accommodating.”

BEST BOOKMAKERS FOR HORSE RACING

Glory Days has done the majority of work at home, aside from a searching gallop between races at Wanganui last week.

“She came through that gallop well,” Thurlow said. “She was a bit keen, but being raceday and plenty going on, she might have thought she was there for business and she can pull a bit.

“We think we had her nearly ready to go before we left home and coming over so late, that was always the plan that she would need to be ready before she got on the plane.”

Allocated 52kgs, Glory Days will be ridden by ace lightweight jockey Corey Brown, who last week partnered Angel Of Truth to an on-pace success in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m).

Brown will likely find himself towards the rear of the field on Glory Days, with the six-year-old mare drawn wide in barrier 19.

“It’s probably not a bad thing (the draw) because we were probably always going to go back,” Thurlow said.

“I won’t be telling Corey too much because he is a very good two-mile rider, but from that draw I dare say we would be back.

“It’s really hard to line all the form up. There is a lot of talk around the Godolphin horse, Dubhe, and really the rest of them, we don’t know whether we are up to that form.

“But we are really happy with our horse and if she runs up to expectations, she will run a very good race.”

Glory Days is rated a $17 chance in a market headed by the Charlie Appleby-trained Dubhe at $3.20.

Meanwhile, Thurlow will have a black-type runner on home soil on Saturday when his Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) runner-up, Beyond The Fort, contests the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton.

“Win, lose or draw she will be going to the paddock after this, but she’s going really well,” Thurlow said.

“Her exhibition gallop at Wanganui last week was good.

“Secret Allure will be hard to beat, but she deserves her shot.”

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments