Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Up-and-coming four-year-old Im Lightning Banner is emerging as a strong candidate for the rich Golden Nugget later in the year when he notched his fourth win in a row with an all-the-way success in the $27,000 Summer Series 0-2W/15K final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But he had to survive a flying finish from another classy four-year-old, the $6 chance Waverider, who failed by a head to overhaul the $1.50 favourite. Magnus Victor ($23) was a nose away in third place after working in the breeze all the way.
“Im Lightning Banner probably switched off a bit, and I was surprised that the others got so close,” said trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green. “At the top of the straight he probably thought he had done it easily, like he had in his previous wins.
“He will probably go out for a spell now and come back stronger and sharper. He has a tendency to be a bit crazy, and early on he was a nightmare. Early on, when I worked him, he drilled me and dropped me about five times. But he has finally got it about right in the head. So, hopefully, he will come back and do a good job in the middle of the year.”
The New Zealand-bred Im Lightning Banner is bred in the purple, being by outstanding sire Sweet Lou, and is the seventh foal out of When You’re Hot, whose seven foals have won a total of 118 races for earnings of $1,291,268. Im Lightning Banner has had 20 starts for eight wins, four seconds, one third and $69,040.
He rated 1.56 over 2130m on Friday night after dashing over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 27.8sec.
Waverider was superb in defeat, and he looks set for an outstanding career. He raced three back on the pegs in fifth position before getting clear in the late stages and charging home, out wide