Glorious Days won the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile at his first start last season and trainer John Size is sticking to the tried and tested route going into this year’s renewal on Sunday, 14 December.
Just like 12 months ago, Glorious Days has been kept fresh for the big day with Size using two dirt track barrier trials in the lead-up to sharpen the Hussonet gelding. The second of those came this morning (Friday, 5 December) in an eight-horse heat over 1200m.
As he did at the same stage of last year’s prep, nine days out from race day, Glorious Days travelled smoothly and cruised home with plenty in the tank. In last year’s corresponding trial he tanked home a neck second in 1m 11.06 s. This time the seven-year-old’s new big-race pilot Mirco Demuro was in the plate and the rider was always going to take things easy on the slow, wet track - Demuro had hold of a tight rein as the pair crossed the line an easy fourth in 1m 12.53s.
Size was deservedly lauded for peaking Glorious Days without a prep race last season and the trainer is once again happy with his charge, whose career first-up record reads 1, 1, 2,1.
“He seems okay, he’s healthy and well and he’s sound,” said the trainer. “He’s done everything that we’ve wanted him to. It’s always problematical to know exactly where you are with them without racing them but he’s run well fresh a few times and I’d be happy if he does the same again.
“He looks exactly the same but he’s a year older and I’ve constantly got that thought in my mind as to if I have to make any adjustment because of that. His energy levels can’t be as high as they were when he was a four-year-old but he’s still the same horse, it’s just up to me to produce the horse on the day. That’s the most important thing, so I’m trying to make sure everything’s okay with him in general.”
Last year Glorious Days swept past runner-up Gold-Fun to claim a famous LONGINES Hong Kong Mile win under Douglas Whyte. The year before, the talented brown gelding came up just short behind the brilliant Ambitious Dragon. He is set to face both opponents again on Sunday week but Size has at least one eye on another rival.
“He’s the older horse now and Able Friend’s the new one on the open class scene,” said the Australian, a seven-time champion trainer in Hong Kong. “Able Friend’s got the ratings, he’s done the job and he certainly looks the one to beat on paper. He’s a formidable opponent, he puts them away very quickly; he’s got a very good sprint, so he’ll be hard to beat.”
Demuro climbed aboard Glorious Days for the first time two weeks when the gelding blew away any cobwebs in the first of his two barrier trials. And the Italian was pleased with the progress his LONGINES Hong Kong Mile hope has made in the interim.
“He feels like he’s come on from the last time I trialled him,” said Demuro. “John has just tried to do the same things he did last year, so he had two trials before the race - nice and easy. That’s what we tried to do today, just easy. He had a little pressure from the horse inside me but he did it very comfortably. It looks like he’s ready for the race. I’m happy that John and the owners considered me because he’s a very good ride to have.”
The G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile is the world’s richest turf mile with a purse of HK$23 million. The LONGINES Hong Kong International Races also feature the HK$25 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), the HK$18.5 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) and the HK$16.5 million LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m).
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Photo 1:
Glorious Days (outside) finishes fourth in a 1200m barrier trial on dirt this morning at Sha Tin.
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