Lord Glitters
November 19th, 2021 | Marten's Current Racing Diary
Hi there!
This unusually sustained spell of dry weather is proving frustrating for both trainers and those of us who prefer to see horses racing in more traditional conditions for the time of year.
Nobody wants the sight of horses struggling to the point of exhaustion in hock-deep ground, but it is an important part of jump racing to see the stamina and tenacity of horses tested in a competitive situation and, at the moment, that is not the case in most parts of the country.
Horses that favour testing conditions, prepared for the midwinter season, are probably fit and raring to go but confined to their yards while the horses that have been racing this summer and autumn are ready for a rest but still active on the track.
The problem is that there is no immediate sign of appreciable rain, especially in the south. Here in the north-west there are showers forecast for tomorrow (Saturday) and Wednesday before rain and snow move through next Friday and over that weekend.
A few showers of rain are forecast for the south of the country towards the end of next week, but little more than that.
The clerks of the courses will be reluctant to irrigate the ground as that could lead to gruelling conditions when the rain does arrive, while there are also restrictions in some localised areas.
Away from the jumps Lord Glitters got it all together to land the valuable Bahrain International Trophy at Sakhir earlier today.
As you may know I have long had a soft spot for the grey, but he takes some knowing as he needs to be switched off and produced through horses late, preferably off a strong pace.
I have always felt that he was better suited to trips beyond a mile, even though his UK Group 1 victory was in the Queen Anne over the mile. He did, though, start his career in France over ten furlongs but with the passing of time – he is now an eight-year-old – this longer trip probably suits him better.
It should be noted that he was conceding weight to each of his 12 rivals, so this narrow defeat of the 115-rated Barney Roy is probably close to his lifetime best.
The victory takes his lifetime earnings to over £2 million.
Bye for now
Marten
