23 August 2022 | Ken Casellas
Egerton-Green’s first group 1 success
Dylan Egerton-Green is at the forefront of Western Australia’s young trainers, and he left Gloucester Park on Friday night glowing with pride at achieving his first group 1 training success.
He produced Zephyra in splendid condition and drove the youngster with aggression and supreme confidence to score a runaway victory in the $100,000 TABtouch Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies.
Zephyra’s win gave the 29-year-old Egerton-Green his seventh group 1 driving success and his 820TH winner in a burgeoning career.
It was a particularly symbolic win, with Zephyra following in the footsteps of her dam Tricky Styx, who won the Diamond Classic in June 2014 when Aiden de Campo brought her home with a powerful burst to get up and snatch victory by a head over Soho Tokyo.
Egerton-Green drove Tricky Styx at four of her 79 starts for a win at Gloucester Park in June 2017, and he has driven Zephyra at all of her six starts for four wins, two seconds and earnings of $92,216.
Zephyra was bred by Northam trainer Jesse Moore and his wife Maree, who race the filly in partnership with their daughter Hayley.
Moore prepared Zephyra for her first three starts before he transferred the filly to Egerton-Green’s Banjup stables. “She was going good, but I was having bad foot troubles with her,” said Moore. “And Dylan has done a wonderful job with her.
“One bloke in particular I’d like to thank is Mike Williams, who played a very big part with Tricky Styx, who wanted to kick you out of the cart. Mike used to take her out (for her workouts), and this filly (Zephyra) was exactly the same. She was hard to handle in the early stages, and Mike was the only one who had the courage to work her on the track.
“I was having trouble with Zephyra’s feet, so I sent her to Dylan. Now, we’re hoping she can repeat the dose in the big one (the $225,000 Westbred Classic on September 16).”
Egerton-Green said that Zephyra had been troubled by an abscess in a hind hoof and then by an abscess in a front hoof. These problems have been overcome and the filly is now a picture of health.
Zephyra was the $2.90 second fancy in Friday night’s big race, with the polemarker Flametree, attempting her fifth win in a row and drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier, the $1.60 favourite. Mitch Miller sent Flametree straight to the front and she ambled through the lead time in 37.7sec. and the opening quarter in 31.1sec.
Egerton-Green drove Zephyra forward, three wide, to race in the breeze after 550m. He was content to stay there until he urged Zephyra forward in the back straight in the final circuit. Zephyra surged past a wilting Flametree 400m from home and she raced away to win by three lengths from $26 chance Spiritofanangel, who had enjoyed a perfect trip in the one-out, one-back position. The final 400m sections were run in 28.7sec. and 29.12sec. and Zephyra rated 1.58.9 over the 2130m.
“I didn’t want to race outside Flametree if she was overracing,” said Egerton-Green. “Her moderate lead time and moderate first quarter helped my decision to go forward into the breeze. Zephyra had shown that she could run a good race from the breeze (when second to August Moon).”
Symington sings Swingband’s praises
“He’s the best horse I’ve driven in a race,” beamed talented young reinsman Kyle Symington after guiding brilliant three-year-old Swingband to a stylish victory in the 2130m Noah and Cruz George Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Swingband, the $2.20 favourite, overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) and was most impressive in winning by a half-length from the gallant The Miki Taker ($4), with Maungatahi ($3.70) in third place.
Polemarker Maungatahi led for the first lap before he surrendered the lead to Swingband, who had settled in eleventh position and then sustained a spirited three-wide burst to assume control.
“It was lovely to sit behind a horse who you can drive however the race presents,” said the 20-year-old Symington. “He is versatile, and tonight I thought the best option was to get in front of The Miki Taker. And it was ideal when I had the opportunity to follow the three-wide run of Seven No Trumps and to get to the breeze.
“The Miki Taker is a quality horse, but Swingband never felt like he was going to let him run past him. I know that The Miki Taker is quite a lazy horse, so he wasn’t going to zap us.”
The Miki Taker started from the outside of the back line and settled down in tenth position before Trent Wheeler started a three-wide move 1200m from home. The Miki Taker quickly moved to the breeze, and he finished with great determination.
Swingband, an Alta Christiano gelding, has already amassed $188,492 in prizemoney from eleven wins and three placings from 17 starts. He is developing into one of the favourites for the $100,000 Westbred classic for colts and geldings on September 9 and the $200,000 WA Derby on November 4.
Lord Rosco adapts to new role
Seven-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding Lord Rosco is a noted frontrunner who went into the 2130m Dylan’s Still Running For Noah George Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night as the anticipated pacemaker, having scored all-the-way wins at 12 of his 16 victories.
But the best laid plans do not always come to fruition. Despite star reinsman Gary Hall’s urgings Lord Rosco was unable to get to the front in the early stages of the race.
Trainer Lisa Walton had changed the gelding’s gear and fitted a compression hood in the firm desire for the gelding to be sharp at the start and able to burst into the lead.
Lord Rosco began swiftly from barrier five but was unable to wrest the lead from the $2.60 favourite Rebel With A Grin, who surged to the front from barrier three for reinsman Kyle Symington.
Momentarily, Lord Rosco was left in the breeze before Hall was able to get the gelding to the pegs, trailing the frontrunning Rebel With A Grin.
Lord Rosco was hemmed in on the pegs until the home turn when Hall got him into the clear. Dylan Egerton-Green then sent Triroyale Brigade ($6.50) to the front with 130m to travel, but he was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Lord Rosco, who got to the front in the final 15m and beat Triroyale Brigade by a half-length, with Rebel With A Grin finishing a well-beaten third.
Lord Rosco was having his second start for Walton, who races the gelding on lease from Albert Walmsley. The win took Lord Rosco’s record to 58 starts for 17 wins and 17 placings for earnings of $122,354.
“I was hoping that Lord Rosco would lead,” said Walton. “But it didn’t happen. Gary drove a very good race.”
Tuas Delight’s successful comeback
Veteran pacer Tuas Delight has recovered from a damaged tendon which kept him on the sidelines for ten months, and the nine-year-old raced with a spring in his step to score an effortless victory in the 2130m Aaron Bain Racing And Summit Bloodstock Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Tuas Delight, purchased for $5000 by Amanda Suvaljko 22 months ago, is proving a bargain, having earned $43,190 from four wins and six placings from 36 starts for trainer-reinsman Callan Suvaljko.
Tuas Delight, making his sixth appearance in his comeback, was a $7.90 chance from the No. 1 barrier, and Suvaljko took full advantage of the prized draw by driving him to an all-the-way win, beating the breeze horse and $18 chance Medieval Man by more than five lengths.
After a slow lead time of 38.3sec. and modest opening quarters of 32.2sec. and 30.5sec., Tuas Delight revealed rare sprinting ability to dash over the final 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 28sec.
“He is coming good with age,” said Suvaljko. “He’s finally worked out how to sprint.
“He has done a good job, and every time he drops down a grade he performs well. At the end of his previous campaign last year he damaged his nearside tendon, and so did Extreme Prince, leaving both their careers in doubt.
“Extreme Prince has not recovered and has been retired.” He was also bought for $5000 by Mrs Suvaljkjo, and he earned $41,755 from three wins and ten placings from 35 starts for the Suvaljko family.
Tuas Delight has been a wonderful old campaigner, who now has had 140 starts for 14 wins, 26 placings and $157,809 in stakes.
“Touch wood, Tuas Delight’s leg has been perfect,” said Suvaljko. “If he pulls up well, he will run in a 2536m race at Gloucester Park on Tuesday when it will be tough from barrier eight.”
Galloping does the trick
Man-of-the-moment trainer Michael Young credits Plutonium’s outstanding return to racing after an injury-enforced 13-month absence to a complete change in the six-year-old’s training regime and 19-year-old stablehand Joseph Suvaljko’s devotion to the task of galloping the gelding in the sand.
The New Zealand-bred Plutonium recorded his third win from three starts in his comeback campaign when Gary Hall jnr drove him to a smart victory in the 2536m Kiara, Michael and Joseph @ Young Pacing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He seems to be in the zone at the moment,” said Young. “Maybe it is the work of Joe, who rides him. Plutonium used to work in the cart on the track but now he does all his fast work in the saddle. Maybe that’s what has turned him around.
“With his dodgy tendon we didn’t want to work him on the track. We wanted to keep him off the hard ground as much as possible, and when he comes to the races it is the only time he has gear on.”
Plutonium, the $3.10 second fancy on Friday night, began from out wide at barrier No. 7, and he settled down in seventh position before Hall sent him forward with a three-wide burst after 500m to race in the breeze outside the pacemaker and $1.80 favourite Al Guerrero.
Plutonium forged to the front 270m from the finish, and he won convincingly from Watabro ($13) and Al Guerrero, rating 1.58.8 after final quarters of 27.9sec. and 28.7sec.
“He is surprising me,” said Young. “He has always had that kind of physical strength about him. But he didn’t have it mentally.”
Three wins on consecutive Friday nights have boosted Plutonium’s record to 35 starts for 11 wins, seven placings and stakes of $94,187.
Jaspervellabeach loves No. 1 barrier
Five-year-old Jaspervellabeach excels from the No. 1 barrier, and he notched his fourth win from five starts from the coveted inside barrier when Emily Suvaljko drove him confidently to land him an all-the-way winner of the 2130m WA Harness Racing Owners Association Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
However, Blythewood trainer Gary Elson said that the Victorian-bred pacer was not exclusively a frontrunner.
“I believe that, sat-up in better-class company, Jaspervellabeach can be competitive and can win, coming from behind,” said Elson, who prepares the gelding for his daughter Kristy.
“He is happy and healthy, and we will keep him racing and see how he goes on his way through the classes.”
Jasspervellabeach, the $1.30 favourite, easily survived an early challenge from the fast-starting Joey James and was able to run the lead time in a slow 38sec. before opening quarters of 30.8sec. and 30.4sec. which were followed by final 400m sections of 29.3sec. and 28.1sec.
Jaspervellabeach won by just under a length from the consistent $6 chance Euphoria, who trailed the leader all the way and was hampered for room until late, when he fought on with an inside run.
Jaspervellabeach has earned $236,845 from 14 wins and 13 placings from 60 starts.
Eighteen Carat continues to shine
“She is making claims as the best mare in the State,” declared a proud trainer Michael Young after Eighteen Carat’s dashing victory in the 2130m $30,000 Retravision Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was Eighteen Carat’s second group 3 success in the space of eight days, following her triumph in the WASBA feature event the previous week.
“I don’t think we have seen the bottom of her,” said Young. “She is leading and winning these races, but I think she has a lot of strength, and I don’t think she has to lead to win. I think she is the real deal.
“She will probably have one more run before having a break and then being freshened up for the $150,000 Mares Classic on November 25.”
All The Bells led for the first 100m before Gary Hall jnr sent Eighteen Carat, the $1.20 favourite, to the front after starting from barrier five. Eighteen Carat then set a brisk pace and dashed over the final quarters in 29.2sec. and 28.3sec. to win by 7m at a 1.56.9 rate from $11 chance Platinum Sparkle, who finished solidly after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
Eighteen Carat, a five-year-old New Zealand-bred mare by Mach Three, has raced five times for Young in WA for four wins and a third placing, and now boasts a record of 43 starts for nine wins, seven placings and stakes of $115,331.
Mr Fantastic lives up to his name
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred gelding Mr Fantastic is living up to his name and he is emerging as a leading candidate for the rich feature events for four-year-olds at the end of the year.
The Bettors Delight gelding, trained by Justin Prentice, notched his seventh win from 12 starts in Western Australia when he outclassed his rivals in the 2536m Team Bond and The Running Camel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Prentice is excited at Mr Fantastic’s progress, and he has high expectations that the gelding will be a leading player in the $50,000 Four-Year-Old Championship (November 18), the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic (December 2) and the $200,000 Golden Nugget (December 16).
One of the favourites for the upcoming feature events for four-year-olds is the Prentice-trained Mighty Ronaldo, along with Lavra Joe and Jumpingjackmac.
Mighty Ronaldo has earned $371,196 from nine wins and 11 placings from 27 starts, with his successes including the Golden Slipper in July 2020, the Three-Year-Old Sales Classic in February 2021, the WA Derby in April 2021 and the Bunbury Cup in March of this year.
“Mr Fantastic’s work at home suggests he is as good as Mighty Ronaldo, even though Mighty Ronaldo has got the runs on the board in the big races,” said Prentice. “We will probably race Mr Fantastic sparingly right through, leading up to the big feature events.”
Mr Fantastic was the $1.10 favourite in Friday night’s field of seven, and Hall left nothing to chance when he revved up the gelding at the start from barrier six to burst straight to the lead.
“He is pretty laid back, and Junior was keen to get him to the front,” said Prentice. Managing part-owner Kevin Jeavons was delighted with Mr Fantastic’s performance, saying: “He’s deceptive and he certainly runs along. We watched him race in New Zealand and were happy to be able to purchase him.”
Mr Fantastic had 11 starts in New Zealand for four wins and two placings, and his seven wins and two seconds from 12 WA starts have improved his record to 23 starts for 11 wins, four placings and $103,842 in prizemoney.
Mr Fantastic gave his rivals little chance to challenge him on Friday night when he dashed over the final four 400m sections in 29.7sec., 29.1sec., 29.1sec. and 28.7sec. He rated 1.58.1 in beating $13 chance Illawong Mustang by a length and a half.
Mr Fantastic is the second foal out of the Art Major mare Its All On, who had 12 starts for two wins, two placings and $10,200 in stakes. Her first foal, also by Bettors Delight, is Bettor Get It On, who has earned $108,365 from eight wins, 11 seconds and three thirds from 38 starts. His wins include the group 3 Coulson Pace and the group 2 Empress Stakes in April this year when he defeated Savvy Bromac.
Its All On is a half-sister to good performers Presido and My Sound Of Thunder, each of whom who raced in WA a decade ago. Presido had 98 starts for 12 wins, 17 placings and $153,575, and My Sounds Of Thunder raced 35 times for 11 wins, 13 placings and $134,841. My Sounds Of Thunder had five starts in WA for two wins at Gloucester Park and three placings, including a second to Jumbo Operator in the 2010 Navy Cup.
August Cup a stepping stone for Lavra Joe
Exciting pacer Lavra Joe broke through in wonderful fashion for his first success in Free-For-All company when he scored an impressive victory over Gambit and Diego in the $30,000 Mia and Macy Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He will line up in the $50,000 August Cup over 2536m next Friday night,” said his enthusiastic owner-trainer Ray Jones. “He seems to like racing, and there are some nice $50,000 events coming up and leading into the Golden Nugget in December.
“And after the Golden Nugget we’ll be looking at the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup. I think Lavra Joe is as good as any pacer in WA.”
Lavra Joe was the $2.20 second fancy in Friday night’s race in which he started from the outside barrier in the field of six. Gambit, trained by Gary Hall snr and having his second start after a spell, was the $2.10 favourite from the No. 1 barrier.
Hall drove Gambit hard in a concerted bid to set the pace, but the gelding lacked the speed to prevent Lavra Joe, driven by Chris Lewis, from bursting to the front 70m after the mobile barrier vehicle had sent the field on its way.
“The plan was to go forward,” said Jones. “I thought that Gambit did not have the gate speed to hold out Lavra Joe, who is a very fast horse out of the gate.”
Gambit enjoyed the run of the race behind Lavra Joe, who after a lead time of 37sec. ran the final 400m sections in 31.3sec., 30.1sec., 29.1sec. and 26.9sec. Gambit was blocked for a clear run until the final 120m — when he finished solidly to be second, one length behind the winner. Diego ($5.50) was third after racing in the one-out, one-back position.
Lavra Joe rated 1.56.6 over the 2130m and took his record to 39 starts for 23 wins, nine placings and stakes of $346,769.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
