Norwegian Highness looks set to reign for Ryan on Town Moor

It’s not unusual for Group horses to run in nurseries and a year ago the opening British Stallion Studs ‘Carrie Red’ EBF Fillies’ Nursery Handicap (1.55) was taken apart by Jeremy Noseda’s Nemoralia, who shrugged off top weight to win easily before going on to run third at the Breeders’ Cup.

Today’s top weight is Glitter Girl, who has a Group 2 Rockfel entry for William Haggas and may well prove a fairly warm order on her hat-trick bid.

However, whether she has quite the credentials of Nemoralia going into the contest is open to doubt. While she has won her last two starts easily and the stable is in cracking form, she has been beating moderate rivals in the north.

The handicapper awarded her a mark of 81 for her length-and-a-half victory at Thirsk in July, but none of the ten beaten rivals has gone close to winning since and Miss Danby, the filly she beat by five lengths at Catterick, had been beaten more than 15 lengths at Thirsk.

The handicapper still gave Glitter Girl another 4lb for that, though, and the beaten rivals who have run have been well stuffed, including a couple in handicaps off marks in the 50s and 60s.
Glitter Girl may well have plenty more in the locker, but she’ll need to as she’s running against some fillies with a fair amount of talent.
It’s also easy to see the expensive Arwa coming in for support after a cosy Ripon win last time, but one who could have got in lightly is Kevin Ryan’s Norwegian Highness.

She was clearly showing plenty early in the season as she was well supported on her York debut in a novice race won by the now 109-rated Afandem in April, and was again fairly strong in the betting a couple of weeks later, but each time this May foal fell well short of expectations.

However, Ryan then gave her time to come to herself and a three-month break seemed to do the trick as she was always travelling strongly and won going away at Thirsk three weeks ago, this time defying market weakness.

That run was over 5f, as were her first two, but the extra furlong and a half here is going to prove a massive plus if her breeding is anything to go by as she is a sister to a pair of 1m2f winners, including the stable’s Erik The Red, who has been progressive in handicaps for the last couple of seasons and ran third at the Ebor meeting last month off a mark of 96.

Provided she settles going up in trip, she should see it out well and an opening mark of 73 could prove lenient.