Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
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.