Glory To Be swoops late to conquer Glory To Be cut down I Bid You Ajou and Exquisite Acclaim to take the lion's share of the €25,000 Winter Festival Early Bird Tickets Handicap over seven furlongs at Fairyhouse. She rattled home to be pipped by a head in second over six furlongs at this track last week, but got her compensation. From third inside the final furlong, she ran on strongly to get up close home for Wayne Lordan. The 3/1 shot came in by three quarters of a length from I Bid You Ajou (5/2f). Michael Grassick said: “That was great. It was a bit of a tactical race. “They didn’t go over fast and she was a bit keen with him. He (Lordan) said he wasn’t too sure if she was comfortable being pinned on the rail - she’s a very small filly, but she’s as tough as anything. “He said he was always comfortable, although he looked under pressure. He felt they weren’t getting away on him and that he’d be able to get one run. “She just does what she has to do when she hits the front, so it was ideal the way it panned out for her. “She’s a great filly. I put her in the Scurry in the off chance it would come up good, but they probably need rain there. “This track does the best job of watering of any track in the country. The ground is a credit to them.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson
