Furry Glen

After finishing unplaced on his racecourse debut over five furlongs, Furry Glen won a maiden race over the same distance at the Curragh. He was then moved up in class and distance for the Marble Hill Stakes over six furlongs at the same course and won impressively from a field which included six previous winners. In June he was sent to England to contest the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot and finished third behind Doleswood and Dragonara Palace. In August he started 2/5 favourite for the Mullion Stakes over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Racecourse and won by one and a half lengths from Wanlockhead. In September he started favourite for the Larkspur Stakes over the same course and distance and finished third behind Primed and Sir Penfro.[2]

On his three-year-old debut, Furry Glen contested the Group Three Vauxhall Trial Stakes over seven furlongs at Phoenix Park Racecourse, and finished second, beaten a head by the Vincent O'Brien-trained Cellini, the winner of the 1973 Dewhurst Stakes. The Irish 2000 Guineas, run on soft ground at the Curragh on 18 May attracted a field of ten runners. Cellini started favourite ahead of the British challenger's Welsh Harmony (Horris Hill Stakes) and Pitcairn (Blue Riband Trial Stakes) with Furry Glen, ridden by George McGrath starting the 10/1 fourth choice in the betting. Furry Glen was last of the ten runners at halfway and appeared to have no chance of winning but then began to stay on strongly on the outside. He caught the leader Pitcairn in the final strides and won by a short head, with a gap of three lengths back to Cellini in third.[4]

Furry Glen was moved up in the distance for the Gallinule Stakes over ten furlongs at the Curragh later in May but was beaten a short head by Sir Penfro. Despite his defeat, he was stepped up in the distance again for the Irish Derby over one and a half miles on 29 June. He lost any chance he may have had when he was badly hampered in the straight and finished seventh, more than fifteen lengths behind the winner English Prince. On his next appearance in August, Furry Glen was most disappointing when coming home fifth behind Richard Grenville in the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh. On his final start, the colt was dropped back in the distance for the Whitehall Stakes over nine furlongs at Phoenix Park and won by a short head from the filly Leave It To Me, to whom he was conceding thirteen pounds.[4]