Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Serpentine trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green was delighted with Zephyra’s return to top form with an impressive all-the-way victory in the $100,000 Westbred Mares Classic for four-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night and said that she would be set to contest the $75,000 Empress Stakes over 2536m next Friday night.
“She has been racing against Free-For-All mares and been holding her own,” he said. “Hopefully she can back up for a crack at the Empress Stakes.”
Zephyra, who had been placed once from her previous six starts from unfavourable barriers, was a hot $1.20 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier on Friday night when Egerton-Green took full advantage of the draw.
Zephyra strolled through the opening 400m sections in 31.4sec. and 30.1sec. before sprinting over the final quarters in 29sec. and 27.4sec. to beat $10 chance Flametree by just under two lengths, rating 1.59.9 over 2536m.
Flametree trailed the leader all the way and finished well ahead of the third placegetter Hunt The Magic ($9), who fought on gamely after enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
The WA-bred Zephyra is by American sire Sweet Lou and is out of former star WA mare Tricky Styx. She has had 25 starts for ten wins, six placings and $310,835.