Glimpse Of Gala

Glimpse Of Gala was beaten when sent off as favourite for the mares’ handicap hurdle run over almost three miles at Ascot last Saturday, but she did well to stay on as well as she did to take second place behind Coquelicot. Settled at the back of the five-runner field early on by Bradley Roberts, Charlie Longsdon’s mare wasn’t suited by the sedate pace that Rex Dingle was allowed to set on the winner. She moved out and started to make progress as they raced down the side of the track, but she got outpaced when they quickened from the third last flight, dropping to last on the crown of the home turn as the winner travelled well in front, fully four lengths clear of her rivals. It never looked likely that Glimpse Of Gala would catch Coquelicot, but there was a lot to like about the manner in which she stayed on over the last two flights, getting to within just over three lengths of the winner and coming five lengths clear of her other three rivals.

Glimpse Of Gala appears to be all stamina, so she wouldn’t have been suited by a sedate pace on good ground. We should see her to better effect when she gets a truer test; a faster pace and/or easier ground. We know that she stays three miles well, and we know that she handles soft ground. Her record on soft ground over two miles and five furlongs or more reads 131. She will be of interest now in a good three-mile handicap hurdle, and she should get a decent pace in a biggish-field handicap. The Pertemps qualifier at Sandown on Tingle Creek weekend might come up too quickly, but there is a Pertemps qualifier at Wincanton on St Stephen’s Day, and that is an option, and there is one in early January on Classic Chase day at Warwick, a track at which she has won before.
Ascot, 19^th November 2022