HK NOV 18 - GLORIOUS DAYS SLAYS AMBITIOUS DRAGON

By Hong Kong Jockey Club | Sunday, November 18, 2012

John Size is hoping for a repeat run from stable star Glorious Days in next month’s G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile, after the five-year-old lowered the colours of Hong Kong’s dual Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon in the G2 Jockey Club Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse today.

Glorious Days had been found wanting behind a devastating Ambitious Dragon when the pair made their seasonal returns last month in the HKG2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy over the course and distance, but with Size’s charge sporting first-time blinkers, it was a different story this time as he landed his first Group race win.

“He has always promised to do that, it was just a matter of whether he delivered,” said Size.

“We were thinking about (blinkers) as soon as he got into Group company, when he started to look as though he was intimidated a couple of times in defeat.

“I don’t think you could ask more of his effort today. It’s a pretty big run going into a big race (LONGINES HK Mile), which is always a discomfort, but he’s got three weeks to get over it.

“Hopefully he might repeat. I think if he just repeated that run that would be enough. To ask him to step up after a run such as that would be asking too much.”

After posting on the rail in midfield, immediately inside of Ambitious Dragon, Glorious Days moved through strongly at the top of the straight under Douglas Whyte. With his big rival unable to unleash the brilliant burst that wowed the Sha Tin faithful last time, Glorious Days quickened to lead 300m out, crossing the line a commanding length and a half to the good in a time of 1m 34.14s.

“I always thought, in the last four runs, that he would need blinkers and that they would really switch him on, but you never know until you get to race day,” said Whyte.

“I’ve never travelled so sweetly on him since the first time he ran. He helped me out through the run and when I’ve pressed the button, he’s taken up any slack and taken the gap that I’ve wanted and just been a man about it.

“You always get nervous when you’re on the fence with Ambitious Dragon on your outside but I had a one-off position, I was posting him a little bit, so he was seeing a bit of daylight – but forgetting all that, I got the run and I let down and I beat him fair and square.”

The Tony Millard-trained Ambitious Dragon, conceding 5lbs to the winner, filled the runner-up berth under Zac Purton, while Pure Champion was a further half-length back in third.

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