Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green faced a difficult decision when deciding between Hale Saint Louie and Im Lightning Banner as his drive in the $27,000 GPHR Tipping Comp Runner-Up Ernie Manning Summer Series Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He has driven Hale Saint Louie at 24 of the gelding’s 25 WA starts for eight wins and eight placings, and he has handled Im Lightning Banner in all of his 19 starts for seven wins and five placings.
He has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Im Lightning Banner from the No. 4 barrier, and he has engaged star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr to handle the polemarker Hale Saint Louie.
For good measure, Egerton-Green also has the in-form Maungatahi engaged in the race. The six-year-old’s past two runs have resulted in a frontrunning victory over Showpony at a 1.57.5 rate over 2130m at Gloucester Park last Friday week and then a good second to Magnus Victor over 2190m at Northam last Saturday. Maungatahi will be driven by Maddison Brown and will start from the No. 2 barrier on the back line.
Adding considerable interest to Friday night’s race will be the appearance of last-start winners Waverider, Soho Santorini and Magnus Victor.
Hale Saint Louie has a losing sequence of ten and is overdue for a win after thirds behind Tualou at Gloucester Park and Magnus Victor at Northam at his past two outings.
Im Lightning Banner has been most impressive and is aiming for his fourth win in a row. He has made most of the running at his Gloucester Park wins (beating Thenu Came Along at a 1.57.1 rate over 2130m and following that with a win at a 1.57.6 rate over 2130m) before completing the hat-trick with an easy victory over Soho Santorini at a 1.57.6 rate over 2100m at Bunbury two Mondays ago.
Waverider, to be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell, cannot be overlooked as a strong winning prospect. He notched his ninth win from 21 starts at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week when he began speedily from barrier five and then was restrained out four wide before finding a spot in sixth position in the one-wide line.
He was last in the field of seven at the 600m before being switched four wide in the back straight and sprinting strongly to hit the front 120m from home and winning easily from Arionrock and Lamandier.