Glance puts up good show in defeat at Stratford

Kittys Glance kept up her consistent form figures at Stratford on Thursday after filling the runner-up spot for the the third time this season.

Racing over two and three-quarter miles for the first time in the Happy 70th Birthday Helen Handicap Hurdle, the daughter of Passing Glance found only favourite Rebel Tribesman too strong in the closing stages.

And it was a performance that pleased her regular rider Tom Bellamy, who believes that the five year old has turned a corner.

Tom said: “She actually run really well. She is stringing her runs together a bit better now as we have always struggled with consistency with her.

“Having hung left in the past she actually hung right a little bit on the home turn, but it wasn’t the winning and losing of the race.

“We didn’t go very quick so I went and challenged the leader turning in. We just bumped into one really, but she has run really well. She will jump a fence in time.”

It was also a case of settling for second best for Ernest Gray on his latest jumps start in the Oddschecker Free Bets Handicap Hurdle at Market Rasen earlier this month.

Alan said: “It was a solid run, but Market Rasen would be plenty sharp enough for him. He was not disgraced as he was giving the winner ten pounds.

“The poor old boy has been put up another pound, but he can still run in a 0-120 as he has been put up to 122. That is his sort of grade. He is better carrying plenty of weight against lesser horses than the other way around.”