Trainer Bill Thurlow is making the most of his second chance with Glory Days after the well-performed mare was retired earlier this year and all but sold to Australian interests.
However, the deal fell through and connections decided to put the 8-year-old back into work and a last-start fourth at Te Rapa under 61kg provided encouragement enough to have a crack at Saturday’s Livamol.
“It was a good effort and she seems to have come up pretty well, maybe better than last year,” Thurlow said. “It was a very big performance and we were really pleased with her.
“She’s come through that in great order and seems to just keep improving in this preparation. I’m very happy with her.
“She was close to being sold, but things went wrong when COVID-19 hit and nothing happened so she stayed here.”
Ten Sovereigns (Ire) | Standing at Valachi Downs Stud
Glory Days, winner of last season’s G1 Auckland Cup and third in the G1 Sydney Cup, has also visited Valachi Downs’ dual Group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire).
“She’s been served and we’ll be testing her next week so hopefully she is in foal,” Thurlow said. “Mares often run well when they are in foal and we might get a couple more months of reasonable racing out of her.
“She’s been served and we’ll be testing her next week so hopefully she is in foal.” – Bill Thurlow
“We’ll get the Livamol out of the way first, she’s an older mare so we’re not looking too far ahead and we won’t be knocking her around. She hasn’t got anything to prove.”
Thurlow will also be represented by Beyond The Fort (NZ) (Niagara), the winner of four of her 11 starts and runner-up in the G1 New Zealand Oaks.
“I’m really happy with her and she came through her last race well. It’s obviously a big ask, but she’s at a difficult place in the ratings and there’s not a lot of other options,” he said.
Thurlow acknowledges both of his runners will be up against it to try and lower the colours of Te Akau, who will be represented by the formidable trio of defending champion Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Avantage (Fastnet Rock) and Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel).
“In all fairness, we're probably running for third, fourth or fifth at best the way the Te Akau horses are going, they are just flying, but you never know if everything pans out on the day,” Thurlow said.
Jockey confident
Certainly, the regular rider of Jamie Richards’ Melody Belle is extremely bullish about his chances.
"Jamie normally lets me ride the race how I see it. We'll see how she gets away from the barriers but I wouldn't mind settling in front of a few of the outsiders,” jockey Troy Harris said.
“I'm pretty confident and I'd be surprised if she got beaten. I was a bit worried when the draws first came out, but they've had a bit of rain down there and being away from the fence might be an advantage.”
Troy Harris
Harris has a strong family tie to the Livamol and would love to add his name to the roll of honour.
His father Noel won it with three times with Secret Seal (NZ) (Imperial Seal {GB}) in 1987, Castletown (NZ) (One Pound Sterling {GB}) in 1991 and Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) in 2007 and his uncle Des posted back-to-back victories aboard La Mer (NZ) (Copenhagen {GB}) in 1978 and 1979.
"It would be a good race to add to my CV and good to go down in the race history with dad and my uncle," he said.
