History beckons Egerton-Green
Talented horseman Dylan Egerton-Green has bright prospects of creating history at Gloucester Park on Friday night by becoming the first trainer to win the Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies for the second time in the 33-year history of the group 1 feature event.
He prepares four of the 12 runners in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic over 2130m, and he has given punters a vital lead by choosing to drive Nevele Arma, who is handily drawn at barrier No. 3.
The 33-year-old Egerton-Green trained and drove Zephyra when she was an odds-on favourite from the No. 3 barrier in the Westbred Classic in 2022 when she dashed to the front after 250m and set the pace before winning by a length from the polemarker Cabsav.
Nevele Arma has an outstanding record of four wins and two seconds from six starts. She is by American sire Huntsville and is the sixth foal out of Arma Xpress, who was a champion youngster who retired after 12 wins, one second placing and $279,890 in prizemoney from 18 starts.
Arma Xpress has developed into a wonderful brood mare and her fifth foal Xceptional Arma won the Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in 2023 when she was prepared by ace trainer Colin Brown and driven by his daughter Maddison when she won the rich feature after starting from the inside of the back line and racing three back on the pegs before beating I Cross My Heart by two lengths.
Nevele Arma is following in the footsteps of Xceptional Arma, who has amassed $345,762 in stakes from 13 wins and 17 placings from 54 starts.
Nevele Arma was driven by Trent Wheeler when she began from barrier three in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week and led for the first 100 metres before Scandaleyes, trained and driven by Egerton-Green, charged to the front and gave a bold frontrunning performance before Nevele Arma finished with a powerful burst to get up to beat her stablemate by a head.
Scandaleyes has been driven by Egerton-Green at her four starts for two wins (including a two-length victory over Nevele Arma two months ago). She will be driven on Friday night by Wheeler from the inside of the back line.
Egerton-Green’s other runners in the race are the polemarker Some Dancer (Mitch Miller) and Ursulas Wish (Aiden De Campo; barrier six). Some Dancer has managed one placing from five starts, and Ursulas Wish has raced five times for two wins and two placings.
“Some Dancer has improved heaps since finishing fourth in a heat when she was held up,” said Egerton-Green. “Scandaleyes has a good turn of foot, and Nevele Arma is tough and fast.”
Leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond will be pinning their faith on Art Major filly Ilikeitlikethat, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line, with Deni Roberts in the sulky.
Roberts, who will drive in eight of the ten events on Friday night, declared that Ilikeitlikethat was her best winning chance on the program. It is not a bad draw, and I’m very happy with her, and she should figure in the finish,” she said.
Ilikeitlikethat, who has had seven starts for two wins and four placings, is a daughter of former star pacer Dodolicious, who was raced and trained by the Bonds. A highlight of her splendid career was her victory in the 2015 Westbred Classic for two-year- fillies.
One of the main chances in Friday night’s race is the Ryan Bell-trained Seaside Serenade, a noted frontrunner and a winner at five of her seven starts, who is favourably drawn at barrier two and will be driven by Liam Elliott.
Seaside Serenade warmed up for this week’s assignment in fine style when she raced wide early from barrier six before setting the pace and winning a qualifying heat easily from Ursulas Wish and Expressing.
Wheeler intends to light the flame
Outstanding Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler is aiming to take full advantage of the perfect draw at barrier No. 1 by attempting an all-the-way victory with the speedy Ignite The Furnace in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He proved it in the Pearl Classic that he has above average ability when he came from a long way back to run third,” said Wheeler.
Ignite The Furnace, who is prepared by Bunbury trainer Sarah Wall, was a $34 chance in the final of the Pearl when he began from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and settled down in tenth position before starting a three-wide move approaching the bell to finish third behind the pacemaker Hez The Boss and Ideal Whisper.
Hez The Boss, trained by Colin Brown and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, began from the prized No. 1 barrier and had an easy time in front with a slow lead time of 38sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.1sec. and 29.5sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 28.5sec.
“This time we have the draw advantage over Hez The Boss, so hopefully we will be able to benefit from that,” said Wheeler. “Ignite The Furnace will get out smartly and hopefully we will be in front.”
The Pearl was run four weeks ago, and then Ignite The Furnace began from the outside in a field of seven in a qualifying heat of the Westbred Classic on Tuesday of last week when he was restrained back to last before Wheeler urged him forward after 350m.
He sprinted fast to take the lead 200m later and was not extended before dashing over the final 400m in 27.8sec. and winning by just over a length from the fast-finishing Asteri Adelphos.
Hez The Boss will be attempting to extend his winning sequence to seven after finishing a half-head second to Seaside Serenade on debut, over 1684m at Pinjarra on January 26.
Brown will be looking for his second success in this feature event for two-year-old colts and geldings. He drove the Noel Keiley-trained Western Apache to victory in 2003 when the event was known as the State Sires series.
Hall has won the event twice --- with Never Ending (2022) and Ideal Beach (2025) --- with both youngsters being trained by Justin Prentice, who also trained and drove Major Martini when he won the race in 2019.
Prentice has two runners in this year’s race --- Asteri Adelphos (barrier six; Dylan Egerton-Green) and Ideal Whisper (barrier seven; Deni Roberts).
Asteri Adelphos has raced four times and has finished second at his past three appearance. He impressed in a qualifying heat when he raced three back on the pegs before finishing strongly to finish a length behind the winner, Ignite The Furnace.
Ideal Whisper notched his third win from six starts when he began from barrier three and set the pace before scoring comfortably from Jetpack in a heat. “Lucky he is tough,” said Roberts in reference to Ideal Whisper’s awkward barrier.
Aiden De Campo, who is heading the State trainers’ premiership table this year, will have 17 runners from his stable in action on Friday night. He will drive Rock The Tour from the No. 2 barrier in the Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings.
He has trained and driven the winner of this event twice, scoring with Rock On Top in 2021 and Menemsha in 2023. “It is a good field, and I like Rock The Tour,” he said. “Hopefully, he can run in the top four or five.”
De Campo’s other runners, Jimmys Rainbow (barrier three; Ryan Warwick) and Themarasshadow (barrier five; Kylah Madden) will be among the outsiders and face difficult assignments.
El Mystro is ready to shine
Henley Brook trainer-reinsman Robbie Williams has his promising gelding El Mystro fit and firing and ready for a strong performance in the $100,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
El Mystro will start from the No. 4 barrier at his third outing after an eleven-month absence, with Williams saying: “While there is a lot of depth in the field, I can’t fault El Mystro, whose fast work this morning (Tuesday) was very good.”
El Mystro has had only ten starts for four wins and two placings, mainly because of a problem in January this year.
“We then had him ready to race, but he got a lung infection, and we had no choice but to spell him,” said Williams. “He resumed in a race at Gloucester Park three weeks ago, and I expected him to run a really big race. But he copped a nasty check in the score-up which affected his confidence.”
He finished sixth, just over two lengths behind the winner D Mac, and ten days later he was a brilliant winner at Pinjarra, rating 1.55.5 over 2185m after final quarters of 28.3sec. and 27.2sec.
“He was very good at Pinjarra when I didn’t have to knock him around too much,” said Williams. “He finished strongly and did it very easily.”
El Mystro will need to be at his best on Friday night when he clashes with several highly promising three-year-olds, including Wheelsofortune, Ideal Beach, Wake Up Geoff, He Is Talking, Chugach and Bettor Behave.
Wheelsofortune, a winner at four of his 17 starts, has excellent winning prospects, according to his trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
“He finally has a good draw (barrier one),” said De Campo. “And I will try to take advantage of that and lead. His run in a qualifying heat (a close third behind Wake Up Geoff and Chugach at Pinjarra) was very good and he will be improved by the run.
“Wheelsofortune is a natural frontrunner and every time he has led, he has won. So, hopefully, that is a recipe for a win on Friday night.”
Ideal Beach, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Justin Prentice, is richly talented and has won at six of his 12 starts for earnings of $275,695, and he has the ability to overcome the awkward draw at barrier six.
“Ideal Beach’s run in a heat at Pinjarra (when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before winning from Bettor Behave) was super and he is a big chance,” said Hall.
Chance for Mighty Ronaldo
Millionaire star pacer Mighty Ronaldo is a wonderful eight-year-old warrior approaching the twilight of an illustrious career, and he gets an ideal opportunity to break through for his first victory for 13 months when he contests the $31,000 Allwood Stud Devoted To Breeding Excellence Westbred Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Alta Christiano gelding, trained by Justin Prentice, will line up for his 87th start from barrier seven and should appreciate a drop in class, with Gary Hall Jnr saying: “You would think he would be hard to beat, and I’m planning to drive him more aggressively. I’ll speak to Justin, and I’d say I’ll probably go forward.”
The early pace should be hot, with several of the front-line runners blessed with excellent gate speed, including trainer Murray Lindau’s speedy six-year-old Hotly Pursued, who has shown that he can begin with abundant speed.
Kylah Madden will drive Hotly Pursued, who will begin from the No. 6 barrier. He started from the outside of the back line in the 1730m Members Sprint last Friday night when he was a most unlucky fifth, finishing just a little more than one length behind the winner Sweet Pins. He raced three back on the pegs and was hopelessly blocked for a clear run in the closing stages.
Otis will resume racing after a spell when he begins from barrier nine for trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green at his first outing since winning the 2662m Narrogin Cup by a half-head from Gee Heza Sport on May 9.
“Otis is working good and will go good, but he will need a lot of luck from the outside barrier,” said Egerton-Green.
Hall is sure to have many admirers when he drives Fakenit, who will reappear after a spell when she starts from the No. 3 barrier in the $100,000 Celebrating Harness Owner Liam O’Connor Four-Year-Old Westbred Mares Pace over 2536m.
Fakenit, trained by Gary Hall Snr, will be making her first appearance since she set the pace from barrier two and won convincingly from Eastbro Chrissy and Wave Rebellion over 2130m on June 19.
“She will be hard to beat first-up,” said Hall Jnr. “She has done plenty of work behind the scenes and has been going good. We will make a play for the lead.”
Wave Rebellion, trained and driven by Stuart McDonald, will also be resuming after a spell, and she makes excellent appeal as a placegetter after drawing the inside of the back line.
Its Maa Time, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, and Delulu, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, will share the back line with Wave Rebellion and they should be running home strongly.
De Campo also is expecting a strong showing from Major Disco, who is ideally drawn at barrier one in the $100,000 Fly Like An Eagle Westbred Classic for four-year-old entires and geldings over 2536m.
“Major Disco has good ability, and I thought his second to Scooter B two Fridays ago was career best,” said De Campo. “He has good gate speed and leading will be Plan A.”
