Weekend racing with Iain Hyndman: Glory Days hits the big smoke

Hometown cup heroine Glory Days hits the big smoke to attack the Sydney Cup. Photo / Race Images

The pride of Waverley, Glory Days, has arrived in Sydney ahead of her tilt Saturday's A$2 million Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick.

The lightly-framed stayer touched down on Tuesday evening and has pleased her trainer Bill Thurlow.

The last-start Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner is based at Richard Litt's Warwick Farm stable and it was just be a case of maintenance work until raceday.

"She has travelled over really well," Thurlow said. "We're very happy with her and she has eaten up and been drinking well, which is good to see.

"It is a nice spot here, it is very quiet, and Richard has been really accommodating."
Glory Days has done the majority of work at home, aside from a searching gallop between races at Wanganui last week.

"She came through that gallop well," Thurlow said. "She was a bit keen, but being raceday and plenty going on, she might have thought she was there for business and she can pull a bit.

"We think we had her nearly ready to go before we left home and coming over so late, that was always the plan that she would need to be ready before she got on the plane."

Allocated 52kgs, Glory Days will be ridden by ace lightweight jockey Corey Brown, who last week partnered Angel Of Truth to an on-pace success in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m).

Brown will likely find himself towards the rear of the field on Glory Days, with the six-year-old mare drawn wide in barrier 19.

"It's probably not a bad thing (the draw) because we were probably always going to go back," Thurlow said.

"I won't be telling Corey too much because he is a very good two-mile rider, but from that draw I dare say we would be back.

"It's really hard to line all the form up. There is a lot of talk around the Godolphin horse, Dubhe, and really the rest of them, we don't know whether we are up to that form.

"But we are really happy with our horse and if she runs up to expectations, she will run a very good race."

Iain Hyndman's Hastings Tips

1: Stelle Noire, Mr Universe, Castani
2: Kali, Puysegur, Mongolian Heaven
3: Red Cloud, Amorata, Anarchy
4: Walkin' By, Short Fuse, Dream On
5: Princess Kereru, Volks Lightning, Pretty To Sea
6: Griffin, Terra Sancta, Monaco
7: Felaar, Jacksstar, Igraine
8: Collinstreet, Five Stars, Habourside
Best Bet: Red Cloud (R3)

– NZ Racing Desk