Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Four-year-old Zephyra is the only mare in the field of twelve in the 2130m Go One Better With Westral Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and has drawn out wide at barrier seven.
However, Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green is enthusiastic about her winning prospects after she had performed strongly in tougher company last Friday night when a fighting fourth behind Our Sandy Shore.
She began from the outside barrier in the field of eight and raced three wide for much of the first lap before working in the breeze.
“She can’t seem to get a (good) draw, but she was good last week, and she and Bellezza Nera (barrier two on the back line in the Westral Shadetrack Outdoor Blinds Pace) are probably my best two winning chances,” said Egerton-Green, who has a drive in seven of the ten events.
Zephyra, a winner at ten of her 33 starts, has a losing sequence of eight and is overdue for a win after having competed against top-flight mares Aardiebytheseaside, Steno, Little Darling, Starlight Dream and Our Sandy Shore at her five most recent outings.
Her toughest opponent is likely to be four-year-old Heez Good As Gold, who will be making his first appearance for six months when he begins from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line for trainer Mike Reed and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko.
Heez Good As Gold has won at only four of his 31 starts, but he has plenty of ability as he showed when third behind the brilliant Never Ending in the Group 1 Westbred Classic last April.
Maddison Brown has chosen to drive the polemarker Ifeel Sikdarl ahead of Im Spiderman, and she is hoping the Ryan Cummins-trained six-year-old reveals his customary gate speed in a bid to set the pace.
Name In Lights, trained by Debbie Padberg, will start from the No. 5 barrier after warming up with an all-the-way win in a 2150m Byford trial last Sunday. He beat Whos The Dad by two lengths, rating 1.59.5.
Lindsay Harper, one of 13 drivers to have handled Name In Lights in his 121-start career of six wins and 32 placings, will be driving the gelding for the fourth time. Name In Lights has finished second at two of his past three starts but he has managed just one win from his past 80 appearances.
Bellezza Nera is handily drawn at barrier two on the back line in race four over 1730m, and Egerton-Green said: “He is racing in career-best form and likes the sprint. He is capable of being right in it.”
Bellezza Nera was a $54 outsider and a $71 shot on the fixed market when he raced four back on the pegs and was seventh at the bell before finishing powerfully to win easily from Otis over 2130m last Friday week. Three starts before that he raced in the one-out, one-back position before running home strongly to win from Tantabiddi and High Price over 1730m, rating 1.54.9.