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Bold Glance profiles as an excellent each way chance at Rosehill on Saturday with Norm Hilton’s stable star contesting the $100,000 Listed Winter Stakes (1400m).
The rising eight-year-old lines up in what appears an open renewal of the Winter Stakes where the Civic Stakes quinella of Mic Mac and Under The Sun sit atop of the current market.
Both deserve that favouritism prior to Saturday’s feature race at Rosehill although just below them quoted as an each way chance is Bold Glance.
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Norm Hilton’s stable star has been quietly building towards this contest with a pair of respectable showings at the course and trip against open company.
His four runs this campaign have been noticeably spaced out however it hasn’t stopped the son of Sequalo from raising the bar with each performance.
A respectable sixth at Rosehill on June 15 was followed by an improved third last start where the gelding gave every indication he was returning to peak form.
Bold Glance box-seated on that occasion and whilst putting up a great fight over the closing stages, was overpowered by his rivals out wide who enjoyed the better part of the straight.
His latest run was awarded a Timeform figure of 110 which sits five pounds shy of a master rating achieved during the 2011 Sydney autumn carnival.
The last time Bold Glance came within striking range of that master figure was just under 12 months ago when running to 114 in both open company at Doomben and also the Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) behind Pinwheel.
Usually given solid campaigns spanning just under ten starts, Bold Glance generally begins to hit his straps at the midway point and from there is capable of holding form until near the end.
Bold Glance will reach that midway point in his preparation on Saturday.
A last start Timeform figure of 110 augers well for Bold Glance in the Winter Stakes and when looking at his prior campaigns, the consistent customer does have room to improve.
As has been the case during his past two outings at Rosehill, Bold Glance from barrier 6 should settle in a handy position behind the early lead.
Having the rail out six metres makes that anticipated settling position all the more important and under the urgings of leading jockey Nash Rawiller, the pair should be prominent throughout.
Promising apprentice Courtney Van Der Werf has arguably done everything right aboard Bold Glance in his past two outings where she has positioned the gelding handy before working home well.
Nash Rawiller though can presently claim to be the form jockey in Australia having notched up 11 city winners during the five city meetings he has ridden at so far this month.
These winners are coming at a healthy success rate exceeding 30% and jockeys in this rich vein of form do have the ability to lift their mounts
The chances of Bold Glance improving on a last start figure of 110 are further enhanced thanks to this key rider booking.
As mentioned earlier, Mic Mac and Under The Sun deserve their current status as Winter Stakes favourites after the pair clashed last start.
Under The Sun was sent out as favourite for the Civic Stakes (1350m) at this track however was unable to get past a surprise leader in Mic Mac who successfully made all.
Mic Mac’s first win in nearly four years showed the dual Group 2 winner is back on track after three seasons severely interrupted through injury.
The Paul Messara-trained gelding was ridden aggressively in the early stages before jockey Christian Reith proceeded to slow the tempo drastically.
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With the race run to suit, Mic Mac won the Civic Stakes with a performance assessed at 116.
Mic Mac showed promising signs the start prior when flashing home late in the June Stakes and third run back from a lengthy hiatus had definitely blown off the cobwebs.
Early wraps on Mic Mac were huge and the Statue Of Liberty gelding backed them up with performances which regularly yielded Timeform ratings of 120+.
On his day, Mic Mac is a serious racehorse and the gelding should have room for improvement fourth up.
He can perhaps edge closer to an impressive master Timeform rating of 126 achieved when finishing second behind former stablemate Apache Cat when second in the 2009 renewal of the Group 2 Schweppes Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Unfortunately, doubt surrounds whether Mic Mac will take his place in the event with trainer Paul Messara concerned about running the gelding with 60.5kg.
Even with a big weight Mic Mac has strong winning claims in the Winter Stakes however it might not be until raceday morning before it becomes clear whether the talented sprinter will take his spot.
Under The Sun has been a model of consistency this campaign.
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The Gai Waterhouse-trained runner recorded a gallant second in the Civic Stakes and can go one better here regardless of whether or not Mic Mac shows.
Under The Sun would meet Mic Mac 1kg better at the weights and finds himself sitting nicely inside the handicap with 54.5kg.
The No Excuse Needed gelding should get to the front and dictate terms with minimal fuss from barrier 2 and will take some catching.
As has been the case right throughout this preparation, Under The Sun will give an honest account of himself and be in it for a long way.
Whether Under The Sun is capable of lifting to stakes level winning standard so late in his campaign though must be a query.
A case could be made for stablemate Kontiki Park being better suited in Saturday’s Winter Stakes (1400m).
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The strong son of Thorn Park was unsuited at this track last start, lumping 60kg over 1500m on a Heavy 9 surface.
Regardless, Kontiki Park showed good improvement in running to 108 second up, seven pounds clear of what he produced when resuming.
Added fitness third run from a spell and the likelihood of firmer ground are two positives for the seven-year-old who can build on his last start outing considering he possesses a master Timeform rating of 115 achieved during spring 2012.
The 2013 Winter Stakes shapes as a stronger than normal renewal of the event which currently has a five-year-winning average of 104.
As well as the key chances addressed above, the likes of Coup Ay Tee and See The World have each run well above this current average during their latest campaigns.
In a rather open feature event though, a strong case can be made for the Norm Hilton-trained Bold Glance to post his third career stakes victory.