Although most pundits give Side Glance no chance in Saturday’s Cox Plate, the English raider is out to prove that he is more than just a handsome face as he attempts to break new ground for Europe in Australia’s weight-for-age championship.
One of the most stunning looking horses to travel to Australia in recent years, the near black Side Glance has not been without his quirks since arriving at Werribee a month ago.
”He’s exactly like he is every single day of his life, he’s just very keen, but he’s not really fussed by people, he’s a people’s person,” said Anna Lisa Balding, wife of trainer Andrew Balding.
Craig Williams found out just how keen Side Glance was when he first rode the horse last week, hanging on grimly as the horse loosened its saddle and took off for a keen gallop around Werribee. But with a little practice and some quality time in the saddle, Williams and Side Glance are getting to know each other, and Balding couldn’t be happier with their burgeoning relationship.
”Side Glance is quite a keen horse, so Craig needed a bit of practice. But he’s done a great job this morning and had him beautifully settled,” Balding said.
Williams, too, was pleased that he was able to have a second steer of Side Glance on Wednesday.
”I ended up spending a lot of time with him, which was great because my last impression of him when the saddle slipped gave me no guide at all. He was really aggressive on his first lap, but out to a canter and his work I was able to get a better understanding of him.” he said.
Side Glance can seriously gallop. A four-time black-type winner in England and a multiple group 1 performer, he has run with merit in some of the world’s best races, and has chased home the likes of Frankel, Al Kazeem, and Animal Kingdom in the past 12 months.
A fourth placing in the Dubai World Cup in March confirmed a trip to Australia for the Cox Plate, while a luckless run in the Arlington Million in August topped off his preparation.
”I’m no gambler myself but my twenty pound might go on him,” Balding said.
”He’s a genuine group 1 horse, fourth in the World Cup, third in the Arlington Million, and he loves a turning track. We’ve got the best jockey on him and 66-1 sounds to me like a pretty generous price.”
