Glass Harmonium

They went flat out in the early stages of the Hampton Court Handicap Stakes at Royal Ascot on Thursday, as Big Bound and Freemantle duelled for the early lead. That played into the hands of the hold-up horses, Glass Harmonium among them, but there was still a lot to like about the manner of the Stoute horse’s victory. He showed a fine turn of foot on the outside at the two-furlong pole to take it just inside the final furlong. He did hang to his right in so doing, but that is forgivable as it was just the fifth race of his life, and horses are inclined to do that when they are going forward in the home straight at Ascot. The French horse Cashelgar challenged up the far rail and, although Glass Harmonium did hang into him a little and intimidate him if not impede his progress, the lengthy stewards’ enquiry afterwards determined that the incident didn’t affect the result, and it is almost certain that that was the case.

Glass Harmonium should progress again from here. He progressed in each of his four runs since his racecourse debut – typical of a Stoute/Ballymacoll horse – fifth in the Craven, a promising sixth in the Dante, and he should go on again from this. It is interesting that he was a possible for the Irish Derby until Tuesday, but Stoute obviously felt that it would be just too much for him so soon after Ascot. He is by Verglas, but he is out of a Darshaan mare who won over a mile and a half (from the family of Conduit and Spectrum) so there is every chance that he will see out a mile and a half. He races like he may improve for it. He is entered in the Juddmonte International and, although that would be a huge step up, into an all-aged Group 1 race from a listed race, there is a dearth of top class older 10-furlong horses around (this year’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes was a relatively weak affair when compared to the lofty standards that that race has set in the past) and Glass Harmonium could be a player at York. Alternatively, he could be one for the Grand Prix de Paris against his own age group over a mile and a half. He is progressive and should be worth following.

18th June 2009