The G1 Epsom Handicap may be off the agenda for
Bold Glance but a trip to Melbourne is on the cards following the Toowoomba
sprinter's return to form at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Bold Glance fought off a determined challenge
down the straight from his former stablemate Poor Judge to score by a half
length in the Gumnut Furniture Handicap (1500m).
War Ends was a further short neck away third.
Plans
were in train to head to Sydney for the G1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick with Bold
Glance but the trip had to be aborted after the seven-year-old was injured at
his previous start at Doomben.
Trainer
Norm Hilton feared the worst after Bold Glance was galloped on and beat only one
home behind Lucky Luna but the initial diagnosis wasn't as bad as foreshadowed.
"Luckily the injury wasn't as bad as we
first thought but it was enough to rule him out of the Epsom," Hilton said.
"Today was a good test for him but I knew he would race well.
"Poor Judge was my biggest concern and
he's been racing very well lately.
"I thought Poor Judge was going to run
straight past him when he loomed up on the home turn but my bloke kept
kicking back.
"There's not much around for him here
at the moment and he's racing too good not to give him a chance down south.
"I might take him to Melbourne for
the race Poor Judge won a few years ago."
Bold Glance's win continued apprentice Kirk
Matheson's recent good form and was the second leg of a double following his
earlier success on Platinum State in the Timeform Handicap (1600m).
Poor Judge put Hilton in the spotlight when
he claimed the G3 Chatham Stakes (1600m)
on a heavy track at Flemington in October, 2010.
"If all goes well for Bold Glance in Melbourne
he might even stay on for the Emirates," Hilton said.
The $1m G1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) will be run at
Flemington on November 10.
Bold Glance showed last year he was up to the best company after finishing
third in the G1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick.
Poor Judge had every chance to haul in his
former stablemate after a perfect ride from jockey Michael Cahill.
Cahill said Poor Judge got his head in front shortly
after straightening but the winner kicked back strongly.
Racing Queensland webnews
September 29
Photo: Trackside
Photography
