The Glancing Queen provided Alan King with another feature race winner ahead of what could be another big weekend for the trainer with a stylish success in the Actioncoach Invest In The Best Lady Godiva Mares’ Novices’ Chase at Warwick.
Having secured his first Grade One success in four years with Edwardstone’s win in the Close Brothers Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at Sandown Park on Saturday, the Barbury Castle Stables handler once again took centre stage in today’s Listed prize.
After making a winning debut over fences in a Listed contest at Bangor On Dee 29 days ago the Jeremy mare built on that display under a five pound penalty for on her return to two and a half miles with another impressive round of jumping.
Buried away mid-division for much of the race the 7/4 market leader crept quietly into the race before moving onto the heels of long-time leader Barbados Blue turning for home.
As the pair jumped the penultimate fence together The Glancing Queen pressed on towards the last, which she measured impeccably before galloping clear up the run in to score by seven and a half lengths.
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King said: “Her jumping was very good. Tom (Cannon, jockey) said even when she is in tight she is very quick and away from them.
“This was always going to suit her stepping back up to two and a half as the extended 2m 1f at Bangor last time was sharp enough for her and I thought she would travel easier over this trip. She is just a grand mare.
“I just watched the race with Dan Skelton and he said five or six years ago any one of these would have been odds-on to win this race back then but that is how the whole quality of the mares programme has gone up.
“I’d have been very disappointed if she hadn’t of won today even with the penalty. She is a point-to-point winner so she has had a bit of experience over fences but she has been good from day one.”
Although immediate plans for The Glancing Queen remain fluid she was introduced at 12/1 for the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival by William Hill while the race sponsors went 14/1.
King added: “I’ve not really looked beyond today. There is another one the week after but that is too soon.
“We will work back from Cheltenham now and it is ideal that we have that mares’ chase to aim at now.
“We will give her one or two more runs before then though.”
Looking ahead to the weekend King hopes stable stalwart Sceau Royal can register a third victory of the campaign in the Grade Two Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The popular nine year old will bid to go two places better than his battling third in the Grade One Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle last month by giving King his first win in the race since landing the 1999 renewal with Relkeel.
Although tasting defeat last time out Sceau Royal is already a dual winner this campaign having landed a Listed event at Kempton Park in October before claiming a record-breaking third win in the Grade Two Unibet Elite Hurdle at Wincanton the following month.
He added: “This was an afterthought. We were going to go to Kempton for the Christmas Hurdle and then Anthony (Bromley, racing manager to owners Isaac Souede and Simon Munir) rang me at 11.45am on Monday saying can we put Sceau Royal in. I though Christ we haven’t done anything with him but we popped him.
“He worked very well this morning and we will roll the dice and he will take his chance.
“His Fighting Fifth run was good but that last blizzard did it for us as that was the last thing he needed before the race. He still ran with great credit and he seems in good order. If it doesn’t come off it doesn’t come off but we have to have a crack at a race like that.”
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