York Glory

York Glory did well to win the six-furlong handicap at Pontefract on Monday from his wide draw, and he can progress from this now.

The inside rail has been a big advantage at Pontefract over the first two meetings of the season (the first five home in the three-year-old six-furlong handicap at the previous meeting were drawn 1, 2, 4, 5 and 3 of 10, and virtually every winner there on Monday raced on the inside for most of the race) so York Glory’s draw in stall 14 of 14 was a major disadvantage. Admittedly he did get across to the inside from that draw, but he had to drop out and cross in behind everything to do so, which left him seven or eight lengths off the lead after a furlong.

Colonel Mak did go a good gallop in front, which helped York Glory from the position he was in, and a gap did open for him up the inside into the straight, but he still picked up impressively and had to be brave to get past the tough Galician, who had been in the box seat throughout from stall one. The winning margin was only a neck, but York Glory was quite well on top at the line, and given where he was drawn, he was value for much more than that.

York Glory has always shaped like a high-class sprinter, he is at his best when coming off a really strong pace, and things just haven’t worked out for him often. He was unlucky on a couple of occasions on the all-weather this winter, and he probably sat too close to a strong pace on his return to turf at Doncaster recently in the race won by Move In Time. When held up off an end-to-end gallop he is very useful, and hopefully they will ride him like that now this turf season. He will be interesting now in the big sprint handicaps through the summer.

22nd April 2013