Hittite Glory

Hittite Glory made his debut in the Berkshire Stakes over six furlongs on firm ground at Newbury Racecourse in June and finished fifth, twenty lengths behind the Clive Brittain-trained African Winner. After winning a six furlong maiden race on softer ground on his next appearance, the colt was moved up in class for the Richmond Stakes and finished sixth of the nine runners behind Stand to Reason. In the Gimcrack Stakes at York Racecourse in August Hittite Glory's pretensions to high class were apparently exposed: he swerved exiting the starting stalls and never looked likely to win, finishing eleventh of the fourteen runners behind Music Boy and the somewhat unlucky Stand to Reason.[2]

Only five runners contested the Group One Flying Childers Stakes over five furlongs at Doncaster's St Leger meeting in September. Music Boy started the 5/6 favourite ahead of the Norfolk Stakes winner Faliraki on 6/4 with the fillies Western Jewel (runner-up in the Prix Robert Papin) and Alacriter (winner of four races) on 14/1. Hittite Glory, ridden by Frankie Durr, was given no realistic chance and started the complete outsider of the quintet on 100/1. Racing on better ground than in his last two races, Hittite Glory started well but was last of the five runners behind Music Boy at half way, with Durr apparently working hard to keep pace with the others. In the final quarter mile however, the colt produced a sustained run and caught Music Boy in the closing stages to win by a neck. There was a gap of two and a half lengths back to Western Jewel, who was in turn six lengths clear of Faliraki, with Alacriter a further five lengths back in last place. The independent Timeform organisation rejected claims that the result had been a "fluke", stating their view that he had won the race on merit.[2] Since the introduction of the Group race system in 1971, the only other horse to have won such a race at odds of 100/1 has been Sole Power in the 2010 Nunthorpe Stakes.[7]

Hittite Glory was treated more seriously when he contested the Middle Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse in October, starting at odds of 9/2.[8] The Vincent O'Brien-trained Folmar (winner of the Tyros Stakes) was made favourite, whilst the other contenders included Royal Boy (Mill Reef Stakes) and Duke Ellington (Harry Rosebery Trophy). Hittite Glory started poorly and was still in last place and looking unlikely to find space to run with a quarter mile to run. In a rough finish, Durr drove the colt through a narrow gap on the inside, hampering Royal Boy in the process, and was then in turn bumped by Duke Ellington. He gained the advantage in the last strides and prevailed by a short head from Duke Ellington with the outsider Patris a length away in third. Timeform stated that he would have won more decisively with a clear run. Later that month, at the same course, Hittite Glory attempted to become the first Middle Park Stakes winner since Lemberg in 1909 to follow up with a victory in the seven-furlong Dewhurst Stakes. Racing on firmer ground, he fought against Durr's attempts to restrain him in the early stages and never looked likely to win, finishing fifth of the seven runners behind Wollow.[2]

For the 1976 season Ravi Tikkoo transferred his horses to France where they were trained by Breasley at Chantilly. Hittite Glory ran six times, but failed to recover his two-year-old form. On his debut he finished seventh to The Chaplain when carrying top weight in the Prix Montenica over 1500 metres at Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse. In the Poule d'Essai des Poulains over 1600 metres at Longchamp Racecourse on 25 April he finished last of the eleven runners behind Red Lord and thereafter reverted to sprint distances. He returned to England for the King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and produced his best performance of the season, staying on well after being outpaced in the early stages to finish third behind Lochnager and Realty. His form subsequently deteriorated: he finished last in the July Cup, ninth in the William Hill Sprint Championship in August and ninth in the Prix de Seine-et-Oise at Maisons-Laffitte on 20 September.[9]