Take a good look at Glance

Another progressive young former British point-to-pointer scored under rules on Thursday, and could run next in a Listed hurdle at Cheltenham’s April meeting.

Five-year-old mare Just A Glance – whose year-younger full-sister is set to make her debut in a point-to-point on Sunday – scored in emphatic style at Chepstow for Devon trainer Ian Chanin, whose father Robert trained her to win a point-to-point Flat race at Godstone and a maiden race over two and a half miles at Cothelstone (pictured above under Darren Andrews). She then became Ian’s responsibility, was sent up to Aintree for the point-to-point bumper, and ran a fine race to finish second of 17 runners.

As Chanin says: “The form of that Aintree race has worked out well.” The winner, Rebel Tribesman, was later sold for £55,000 and has finished second in a Sedgefield maiden hurdle for Jamie Snowden’s stable, while third-placed Low Kick was sold for £170,000 to Gigginstown House Stud and last month won a bumper at Naas by ten lengths for Gordon Elliott.

Just A Glance runs in the colours of her breeders, John and Michele Frampton, and, knowing they were keen to run their promising youngster under rules, Ian decided to apply for a trainer’s licence rather than see her leave the yard. In October, November and December he completed the modules and received his licence at the turn of the year. In February Just A Glance became his first winner when landing a maiden hurdle at Hereford, and she built on that and defied a penalty this week.

Chanin says: “John raced the dam, Miss Tenacious, who became one of Harry Cobden’s first rides when he became a conditional. Just A Glance [by Passing Glance, who is now 27, but still firing out winners from Batsford Stud] was sent to us as a two-year-old to break in and then she ran in a couple of point-to-point bumpers for experience.

Just A Glance on the first day she was backed as a two-year-old with Ian Chanin in the saddle

“She has always looked like National Hunt material for she has plenty of toe. I decided it was now or never to get a licence, and John and his family have been very good to back us. She was the catalyst in my decision. She’s a good 16.2 hands, but whether she goes chasing next year or not I don’t know at this stage. She could run in a Listed mares’ hurdle at Cheltenham’s April meeting, which would be a step up in class and trip, although she won over two and a half miles at Cothelstone.”

Chanin rode more than 100 winners as an amateur and he teamed up with top-class chaser Kingscliff late in that horse’s career. Unbeaten in two seasons on the point-to-point circuit for trainer Robert Alner and victorious in the 2003 Cheltenham Foxhunters’ Chase under Richard Young, Kingscliff later won Haydock’s Betfair Chase and was runner-up in Kempton’s King George VI Chase. At 11 he returned to point-to-pointing and Chanin, who was working for the Alners, gained the ride, winning three open races.

His association with the sport remains strong, for he is Devon & Cornwall representative for the Point-to-Point Owners’ Association and his father continues to train pointers. On Sunday he is set to saddle the Frampton family’s Made A Pass, Just A Glance’s sister by Passing Glance, in the point-to-point Flat race at Maisemore Park. He could also run debutante four-year-old Swanway, who is owned and bred by Chris Tory and is a half-sister to his winners Badbury Rings and Religous Cross.