Last season's superstar three old filly Global Glamour is on the way back and tuned up at Randwick on Tuesday morning with a hard held trial win.
Could a number of industry marriages be on rocky ground
after Global Glamour's impressive comeback trial at Randwick yesterday?
"Probably not," says racing manager James Bester, who believes the Legh, Kelly, Magnier and Mitchell marriages will survive even if Global Glamour does secure an ATC or other Everest slot.
"They say the female of the species is deadlier than the male," explains Bester.
"And while I believe Global Glamour can beat Chautauqua, English, [Coolmore's choice] and I Am Invincible's Houtzen, I do think Rupert Legh, the Kelly gang, Tom Magnier and the Mitchell men will just have to accept with good grace the possibility that their wives - all of them part-owners of Global Glamour - may conquer Everest ahead of them.
"Wouldn't that be something!
"Now that our girl - NSW Champion 3yo, remember - has returned fighting fit, I really think she can win this thing.
"After all, no horse, in any group race at Randwick last season, over any distance, hit a higher top speed than her 72.8km or ran a faster 200m sectional than her 10.2s, both recorded in winning the Light Fingers Stakes over the Everest course and distance.
"Not Chautauqua, not English; not Le Romain or any other.
"And the horse she beat there, Foxplay, then won a Group One before nearly beating Winx.
"Nor did any other horse compete at that level through the Spring, when she won two Group One races a week and 900km apart, the Summer, when she beat speedster Winning Rupert in the Magic Millions and the Autumn, when she won the Light Fingers and was a gallant 2nd in the Arrowfield, at the end of that arduous 9-month long campaign.
"And, as she showed yesterday, she's back after a good break - bright and bold as ever!
"Gai and Adrian have got her to Base Camp; now it's up to them to get her to the top."
With four wins and four placings from 11 starts and prizemoney topping $1.2 million, Global Glamour is the consummate professional.
"I'd say she'll trial again before a decision is made whether to take in the Premier Stakes en route or to go straight for the Peak," Bester continued.
"If we don't get a slot, there's a lovely little 500k 'consolation' to aim at the same day.
"And if we do, well she's going to give a great sight for a long way, at the very least - she knows only one way: 'go hard or go home'!
"Either way, her 40 owners around the world, all 'glamours' themselves, connected with world-leading stud farms, auction houses and the like, are going to have a lot of fun telling their story - how a $60,000 Aussie filly can take 40 international owners on the ride of their lives towards a $10 million race.
"And isn't that what the 'Australian racing model' is all about!"
