By Ray Hickson
There’s more than a hint of excitement in co-trainer Greg Lee’s voice when he talks about lightly raced gelding Glorious Moments so you can see why he’s been so patient.
Trainer Greg Lee
It will have been over five weeks since the rising four-year-old scored a dominant first-up win after a 15 month absence when he lines up in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1300m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Lee, who trains with his brother Jim, said that gap is by design and if he can repeat the performance it’ll set him up to climb the ladder in the new season.
“When they have their first race after a while if you back them up real quick, because they’ve run so well, they seem to run flat at their second run,’’ Lee said.
“So I gave him plenty of time to get over it.
“He really got to the line at Canterbury and he looked that way too. He’s still got a lot to learn but I think he is a very good horse.”
Glorious Moments, $4 with TAB on Wednesday, had his first start in a two-year-old race in January last year won by Fully Lit and his second start was in the Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes.
Lee said those efforts confused him as the youngster had been showing above average ability and a reason was found that saw him off the scene for over a year.
“He had a quarter crack, which is a split in the hoof, and only time will heal it,’’ he said.
“I ran him in those good early two-year-old races because I thought he could measure up but unfortunately because of what he had he couldn’t see it through.
“He’s always shown he was a class horse or I wouldn’t have taken those races on.”
In the break the decision was made to geld Glorious Moments and after a nine length barrier trial win he notched his maiden success back on June 18, sitting just behind the speed then stretching away when asked for an effort.
It was exactly what Lee needed to see, confirming his belief the horse is one with plenty of scope.
He’s again come up with the inside barrier, with Heavelon Van Der Hoven to ride, and Lee said he’d expect Glorious Moments to have the chance to take the next step.
“He’s a lovely looking horse and I think he will run up to a mile. For sure a mile, the rest you’ve got to find out after a while, but I think he is a very good horse,’’ he said.
“I’ve got a couple of races in mind if he goes on but there’s plenty of races for him.
“I have plenty of confidence in him, he’ll put himself there (from the barrier). You have horses that are in or out but this one, he doesn’t know how to not try.”
Meanwhile, Lee is equally as enthused about soon to be five-year-old Convergent who will soon begin a campaign aimed at qualifying him for the Group 1 Metropolitan (2400m) in October.
The gelding won on debut on Anzac Day and hasn’t raced since running second in a 1600m Midway on June 7.
Glorious Moments wins at Canterbury on June 18
“I think he’s a real stayer, I know he’ll run 2000m plus,’’ Lee said.
“He’ll start on the 9th at Randwick in a 1400m race and he can sprint well fresh.”
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting