GLADSTONIAN (Next Best) looks solid banker material for punters in tonight's third event at a decent Happy Valley grass meeting.
The former subscription griffin is so typical of a David Hill-trained horse.
He has been allowed all the time in the world to mature, both physically and mentally, over the last 18 months or so and is now starting to repay such tender handling.
The four-year-old is improving with each run and some may argue that he is even a winner without a penalty as he was badly hampered by the eventual winner before going down by a length to Super Delight over tonight's 1,800-metre course and distance.
That is certainly the view of jockey-of-the-moment Walter Swinburn who rode Gladstonian that night.
He says: ''I feel I would have beaten Super Delight as he not only crossed me when my horse was coming back at him towards the finish but he also intimidated my horse from over 200 metres out.'' Whether Gladstonian would have beaten Super Delight or not, the point which cannot be debated is that without the interference Gladstonian would have finished closer than a length second.
What's more the form looks rock solid.
