Egerton-Green’s Diamond Plans
Talented trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has had the advantage of starting from the prized No.1 barrier in three of the eight Diamond Classics for three-year-old fillies with mixed fortunes.
And at Gloucester Park on Friday night, he will again enjoy the No. 1 barrier in the $50,000 Westral Diamond Classic over 2130m with promising WA-bred filly Sovereign Jewel.
Egerton-Green drove the Greg and Skye Bond-trained New Zealand-bred filly Newsy, the $1.30 favourite, in the 2021 Diamond Classic when the Bettors Delight pacer began from barrier one, set the pace and held on to win by a half-head from Always An Angel.
He drove the $2.75 favourite Our Lady Jen from barrier one in the 2023 Diamond when the filly overraced in the lead and faded to finish last behind Brulee, and in last year’s classic Egerton-Green trained and drove the $31 outsider Gelsomino Amal from the No. 1 barrier when the filly finished second to the pacemaker and $1.20 favourite Ruby Lovera after trailing her throughout.
Sovereign Jewel began from the No. 2 barrier in a qualifying heat of the Diamond on Tuesday of last week when she led early before surrendering the lead after 350m to the $1.26 favourite Im Category Five.
Crunchnsip, who had raced without cover throughout, took the lead on the home turn and finished second, beaten a nose by Sovereign Jewel.
Sovereign Jewel rated 1.56.4, the same rate recorded by the classy Miss Leopatra when Jocelyn Young drove her to a runaway 17m victory over Insurgency after setting the pace from the No. 1 barrier in the second of the two qualifying heats.
Miss Leopatra, trained by Cameron Ross, is the only New Zealand-bred filly in Friday night’s event, and she has excellent prospects of giving Young her second success in the Diamond Classic, following her Blockjorg’s strong finishing effort to beat Double Expresso by a half-length in 2020.
The previous time when there was only one New Zealand-bred runner in the Diamond was in 2023 when Deni Roberts drove $17 chance Brulee to a half-length victory over Gliding Star.
“I’ll be aiming to utilise the good draw, for sure, by having a crack,” said Egerton-Green. “Sovereign Jewel has a good draw, so we should make the most of it and make every post a winner.”
Crunchnsip’s splendid effort when second to Sovereign Jewel last week delighted Roberts, who said: “Drawing the inside of the back line is a perfect draw for her, and she should be a good place chance.”
De Campo Favours American Machine
Star trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo brought $1.30 favourite Amalfi Knight home with a spirited burst from sixth at the bell to get up and win by a half-length from stablemate American Machine ($7.50) in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week, but he has a strong belief that American Machine will turn the tables when they clash in the $50,000 Team Bond Pearl Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“There is not much between them, but from the better barrier draw American Machine looks the one,” said De Campo when electing to drive that colt and engaging Dylan Egerton-Green to handle smart gelding Amalfi Knight, who has impressed with four wins and three placings from nine starts.
American Machine, who has had eleven starts for two wins and four placings, has drawn a favourable barrier at No. 3 on the front line, with Amalfi Knight out at barrier five, and stablemate Bettor Behave, to be driven by Trent Wheeler, awkwardly drawn at No.7.
“The three of them are racing very well and it is hard to split them,” said De Campo. “However, the draw points to American Machine, who has good gate speed.
“The only time he has led, he won (at Pinjarra early last October), with the only danger is that he can fire up. We will come out hard and put our eggs in one basket, and if he leads and relaxes, he will be hard to beat.”
In the first qualifying heat last week American Machine began out wide at barrier eight and settled down in ninth position before making a fast move to get to the breeze outside the pacemaker Cease To React with 1050m to travel.
He then hit the front on the home turn but failed to hold out Amalfi Knight, who raced in the breeze early and then enjoyed a good trip, one-out and two-back, before starting a three-wide move at the 600m and sustaining a strong effort to forge to the front in the final 30 metres, rating 1.55.1 after final 400m sections of 28.1sec. and 28.3sec.
Chugach, driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was an eye-catching third and is capable of a bold effort on Friday night despite beginning from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Chugach trailed the frontrunning Cease To React in last week’s qualifying heat before being eased off the pegs 220m from home but then being badly blocked for a clear passage in the home straight. Finally, he got clear with 60m to travel and he flew home, out four wide.
There is always the possibility that Roberts will make full use of Chugach’s explosive gate speed, and if that transpires the race could well develop into a thrilling affair.
Stormy Vista Shows His Strength
New Zealand-bred four-year-old Stormy Vista showed that he should be prominent at his Australian debut at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he rated 1.57.4 in winning a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Wednesday of last week.
His appearance in the 2130m Westral Roller Shutters Pace in which he will begin from the outside of the back line will create considerable interest.
He is trained by Michael Young and will be handled by Emily Suvaljko, who drove him in his recent trial when he set the pace and beat Lucca by a neck after a slow lead time followed by solid quarters of 29.3sec., 29.6sec., 28sec. and 28.4sec.
“He is strong and he had a tough trial in which he kept kicking,” said Young. “He was under the whip for the whole last lap and a half. He is a very casual customer, but he works in good style.”
Stormy Vista will be having his first start since he won a 2600m stand at Rangiora on March 1 when he rated a slow 2.6.9 and beat Mystery Beach by a head. That took his career record to 28 starts for three wins, nine placings and $37,014.
Interestingly, Stormy Vista has had only three starts in mobile events, finishing eighth, sixth and ninth. His chief rivals on Friday night are expected to be Im Massimo and Take a Hike.
The Victorian-bred four-year-old Im Massimo will be having his first start for trainer Justin Prentice and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr since he finished tenth behind Seaside Magic in the Pearl Classic for three-year-old colts and gelding 12 months ago.
He began speedily from out wide at barrier eight and zoomed to the front after 300m when the early leader Elite Fleet broke into a gallop. He set the pace until the home turn before he wilted in the concluding stages.
His eight starts, all in WA, have resulted in three wins and four placings.
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond look set for a successful night, with the stable’s nine runners expected to figure prominently. The stable’s No. 1 driver Deni Roberts declared that four-year-old Rumble Strip was her best winning chance.
Rumble Strip has won at his past two starts and he looks too good for the opposition in the 2130m Westral Plantation Timber Shutters Pace in which he will begin from barrier six. The Bettors Delight gelding was untroubled to work in the breeze before winning easily from Rox The World and Sugar Shake last Friday night when he covered the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 27.6sec.
“That was his first metro-class win, and he is still down in the ratings,” said Roberts, who has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive last-start winner Kinky in preference to When In Vegas in the Westral Meshlock Security Doors And Screens Pace over 2130m.
“Both were really good last week, and they should be each-way players.” When In Vegas, who will be driven by Kyle Symington, dashed to an early lead and then trailed the pacemaker Ultimate Miki when a good second to that smart pacer last Friday night.
Voak Fancies Brought To Light
Busselton trainer Katie Howlett has brought back five-year-old Brought To Light in splendid form after an injury-enforced absence of 30 months and the Bettors Delight gelding should prove hard to beat when he begins from barrier three in the 2130m Westral Meshlock Security Doors And Screens Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ace reinsman Chris Voak is bullish about Brought To Light’s winning prospects, saying: “He is versatile and I think there is a chance of leading, and I’m going into the race with a fair bit of confidence.
“With the barrier advantage over his main rivals he is the one to beat. He sat in the breeze and won easily at Bunbury two starts ago, going 1.56.7 and then finished third behind Lincoln Lou and Golden Lode in the Manea Classic at Bunbury last Saturday night.
“He ran up behind them and was half held up. He is a horse who doesn’t sprint until he gets clear running. He is quite a tough horse as he showed two starts ago.”
Brought To Light revealed excellent early promise as a two-year-old when he finished second to Vegas Strip in the group 1 Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park in September 2023. That was his tenth appearance that season and then injuries kept him out of action for 30 months.
Several of his rivals this week are racing keenly, and they include Kinky, Up And Alive, Opal Hunter, Wall Street Girl and When In Vegas.
Up And Alive, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, impressed last Friday night when he began out wide at barrier eight and was tenth at the bell before running home strongly to finish third behind Kinky, who sustained a spirited burst to get to the front with 250m to travel.
“Up And Alive is racing well and with a good draw I will try to give him a good chance in front,” said De Campo. “There are a couple of nice ones out wide, so I will try to take advantage of the draw.”
Menemsha also has sound prospects for De Campo when he begins from the outside of the back line on he $31,000 Team Bond Free-For-All over 2130m. “He has raced really well at his past two (for a win and a second placing) and this is another winnable race for him,” said De Campo.
The Bond-trained Gee Heza Sport, to be driven by Deni Roberts, is the pre-post favourite who is sure to receive plenty of opposition. The eight-year-old has been raced sparingly in recent months and he was the $1.70 favourite when he began from the back line and had a tough run when a half-head second to Otis in the 2662m Narrogin Cup last Saturday week.
“He has a tough barrier,” said Roberts. “It was a slick last half (56.4sec.) in the Narrogin Cup when he was not suited by the slow early pace. He goes better when the speed is on.”
Voak gives his five-year-old Maximum Rock a good winning chance, pointing out the gelding’s unlucky third behind Youre So Fine and Menemsha last Friday night.
Maximum Rock, who set the pace and won from Opal Hunter over 2130m two starts ago, will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line on Friday night.
“If he was able to get a crack at them last week, he would’ve gone close,” said Voak. “We were held up on the back of the eventual winner and then I should have come out wider on the (home) bend. He is up to this class, and if he gets the gaps, he will be capable of winning.”
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green also gives his five-year-old Im Lightning Banner a good chance of ending a losing sequence of 17 when he begins from the inside of the back line.
“He is not having a lot of luck, and hopefully this week he will be on the leader’s back,” said Egerton-Green. “We will start immediately behind Alcopony, and that horse usually likes to lead.”
Trainer Gary Hall Snr will be looking for strong efforts from his last-start winners Youre So Fine (Maddison Brown; barrier nine) and Sweet Pins (Stuart McDonald; barrier five) as well as Alta Tribute (Briana Edman; barrier seven). Alta Tribute won the 2536m Parliamentarians Cup three starts ago.
De Campo reports that his brilliant mare Copy Cat Queen is poised to put in another excellent performance when she starts from the No. 6 barrier in the Go One Better With Westral Pace for mares over 2130m.
“She was sensational last start when she put another couple of strings to her bow (and won the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes last Friday week),” said De Campo. “All things are on track, and she will run a good race.”
The Bond stable will be looking for forward showings from Aardiebytheseaside (Deni Roberts; barrier No. 7) and Captainshavtime (Kyle Symington; barrier five).
