In a thrilling Grade 3 novice hurdle at Clonmel, Search For Glory emerged as the winner, denying Harvard Guy's pursuit of a fourth consecutive victory.
The race saw a modest pace set by the three runners, given the challenging ground conditions.
While leading the way, Search For Glory encountered some minor difficulties, occasionally lacking fluency and veering left during the fifth jump, requiring precise handling from jockey Jack Kennedy.
As the race progressed, it turned into a sprint on the final stretch, with Harvard Guy unable to close the two-length gap to Search For Glory, who maintained a strong lead. Kennedy skillfully guided the winner over the last jump, while Harvard Guy's performance suffered a slight stumble. The 5/4 favourite triumphed by a convincing four and a quarter lengths, leaving the 8/11 favourite, attempting a three-mile distance for the first time, in second place. Sarah Beara, the outsider of the trio, attracted support and finished consistently in third place, trailing 11 lengths behind the runner-up.
Search For Glory's victory was particularly noteworthy, as the horse was rated six pounds lower than Harvard Guy and had to concede a further six pounds under the race conditions.
Reflecting on the race, Kennedy commented,
"In the end, he did it well, but he wasn't comfortable being in the lead. Once we reached the top of the hill and turned back this way, he settled, although navigating the bend was challenging. It's not that he prefers going left-handed; he simply didn't enjoy setting the pace. Nonetheless, everything worked out fine as he always had the ability to accelerate, and today he displayed more versatility than ever before".
Following the triumph, Search For Glory's odds were shortened by Paddy Power from 20/1 to 16/1 for the Albert Bartlett, while remaining unchanged at 33/1 for the Baring Bingham. It's worth noting that both races offer non-runner money-back options.