Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has enjoyed an inseparable partnership with the wonderfully consistent six-year-old Otis, a gelding he has driven in all his 49 starts for 13 wins, 11 seconds and nine thirds for stakes of $168,326.
Otis has drawn the prized No. 1 barrier in the $25,000 Book Your Event at Gloucester Park Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and Egerton-Green will be anxious to use the horse’s excellent gate speed in a bid for victory.
“This is a good draw, and he is racing well,” said Egerton-Green. “It was a good run last week when he raced in the breeze and finished third behind Arma Xfactor and The Miki Taker.”
Otis began fast from barrier three last week but was unable to cross Arma Xfactor, who was drawn inside of him. He refused to give in and did very well to fight on for third after final 400m sections of 29.2sec., 28sec. and 28.2sec.
This week Otis should prove the master of Arma Xfactor, who will begin from the No. 3 barrier. Hampton Banner is a speedy beginner, but it is unlikely he will be able to muster sufficient speed to cross Otis, who has proved to be an excellent frontrunner throughout his career.
Miki Jet, trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, adds spice to Friday night’s event in which he will be making his second appearance after a spell. The New Zealand-bred five-year-old, who’s past eight starts have produced six wins and two seconds, faces a stern test from the outside barrier in the field of seven.
He resumed racing last Friday week when he began from the inside of the back line, trailed the pacemaker All Is Well and did not get clear until the final 120m when he finished fast to be second to Soho Dow Jones.
“He was nominated for a stand, but that event fell over, and he was an acceptor for this 2130m mobile, with a random barrier draw — he and drew the outside barrier,” said Hall. “It will be tough beating these horses if he gives them a start.”
Egerton-Green has a drive in eight of the ten events on the program, and he said that his best prospects were Otis and Rockmyster, the solitary runner on the back line in race two.
“Rockmyster’s last-start seventh was when he raced three wide from the bell,” he said. “He is in this race with a chance.
“Of my other drives I give Zephyra an each-way chance (from the outside of the back line in the Steelos Pace). She should be able to get a good run through from the draw and run a good race. She was pushed wide on the corner when a first-up eighth.”
An unexpected drive for Egerton-Green will be the Hayden Reeves-trained Recover Lover from barrier six in the 2130m 7News Pace. Recover Lover impressed at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon when she was handled by Stuart McDonald and enjoyed a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to win easily from Rocknroll Sloy.