Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has happy memories of his thrilling victory with Newsy in the Diamond Classic for three-year-old fillies two years ago — and now he aims to repeat the dose when he drives Our Lady Jen in the $50,000 Nova 93.7 Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Newsy, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, was the $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and Egerton-Green drove the filly to an all-the-way victory, scoring by a half-head from Always An Angel.
Our Lady Jen, trained by Jesse Moore at Northam, has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s group 3 event, and Egerton-Green will be anxious to win the start and set the pace.
Our Lady Jen has resumed after a spell in sound form, fighting on sixth at the bell to finish fourth behind Overly Excited over 1780m at Northam on April 29 before her excellent third behind Flametree and Lady Violetta over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Tuesday of last week.
She enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before being switched three wide approaching the home turn and running home determinedly.
“She is getting fitter and fitter with each run,” said Egerton-Green. “She felt like she was going to go close (to winning) last week. But she switched off a little bit. She should now be spot-on, and she has the gun draw, and I think she will give them a shake. We will probably run the gate and see where we lob. She’s versatile and is definitely a realistic chance.”
Last year Moore was the breeder and part-owner of Zephyra, who overcame the wide barrier at No. 7 to score an effortless victory in the Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies. Zephyra was trained and driven by Egerton-Green. She is the only progeny of Moore’s former star mare Tricky Styx, who won the Diamond Classic for two-year-olds when she beat Soho Tokyo by a head in 2014.
Flametree was the $1.60 favourite when she started from barrier one and set the pace before fading to tenth behind Zephyra in last year’s Diamond Classic for two-year-olds. She is, by far, the most successful filly in Friday night’s race, with seven wins and five placings from 15 starts.
Flametree, prepared by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett, qualified for this week’s event with a dashing victory in a qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week when she enjoyed the one-out, two-back trail and was sixth 100m from the post before charging home, out five wide, to snatch victory from Lady Violetta and Our Lady Jen.
However, Mitchell Miller, who has handled Flametree at 14 of her 15 starts for seven wins, has given punters a strong lead by choosing to drive the Paula Petricevich-trained Sweet Vivienne, a winner at five of her 16 starts.
Miller was in the sulky when Sweet Vivienne finished third behind Gliding Star and Brulee in a qualifying heat. Sweet Vivienne began from barrier six and made an unsuccessful early challenge for the lead before dropping back and running on from fifth at the bell.
Sweet Vivienne is racing with great heart and will have many admirers when she starts from the favourable No. 2 barrier. Flametree has drawn out wide at barrier eight and will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko.
In what appears to be a very open contest, back line runners Gliding Star and Lady Violetta are worthy of strong consideration.
Gliding Star, to be driven by Chris Voak for trainer Jemma Hayman, impressed in a qualifying heat last week when she started from the outside barrier (No. 9) and was eighth at the bell gaining in an inside run and flashing home to win from the pacemaker Brulee and Sweet Vivienne.
“From the back line, Gliding Star will have to be driven with a sit,” said Voak. “We might be able to get into the one-out, one-back or the one-out, two-back position.”
Lady Violetta, to be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell, ran an excellent trial for this week’s race in a heat last week when she began from the outside barrier (No. 9), dashed forward early and worked in the breeze before finishing second to Flametree.