Egerton-Green milestone nears

Outstanding young reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green is poised to achieve a wonderful and well-deserved milestone this week by landing his 100th winner for the season.

He chalked up his 99th success at Gloucester Park on Tuesday evening when he drove 5/1 chance Mandy Joan to a stylish victory over the pacemaker My Prayer in a 2130m event for three-year-old fillies. Mandy Joan was restrained from barrier seven and settled at the rear before Egerton-Green brought her home with a storming three-wide burst.

The victory gave Byford trainer David Thompson a welcome present for his 56th birthday which he will celebrate on Friday.

The 26-year-old Egerton-Green is rapidly becoming one of the State’s finest drivers and he has already surpassed his previous most successful season when he won 69 races last season.

“It’s always been an ambition to drive a hundred winners in a season,” he said. “Originally, I thought I’d have my best season when I had a claim. I lost my claim about three years ago and I’ve just been chipping away.”

His victory with Mandy Joan was tinged with considerable sadness. Earlier in the day, Egerton-Green had attended the funeral of 20-year-old Lockie Hernaman, a close friend and teammate at the Harvey Bulls football club.

Egerton-Green should bring up his century of winners this week either at the meeting at Narrogin on Friday night or at Gloucester Park the following evening.

He has six drives at Narrogin and his better chances appear to lie with last-start winner She Said Diamonds in race one and the consistent Ultimate Offer, who is favourably drawn at barrier two in the fifth event.

Egerton-Green is also looking forward to a busy night at Gloucester Park on Saturday where he has a drive in eight of the ten events. He is enthusiastic about the prospects of the Dennis Roche-trained Jaxon Jones in the opening event, the Christmas In July at the Beau Rivage Pace for two-year-olds.

He has driven the gelding to impressive all-the-way victories at Bunbury at his past two starts. At his latest outing Jaxon Jones sprinted home over the final quarter in 27.5sec. and defeated Jaspervellabeach (unbeaten at his three previous starts) and Major Martini (who had won at each of his two starts).

“You must respect Jaxon Jones, who beat a horse who had won at his only three starts,” Egerton-Green said. “Every time he has gone around Jaxon Jones has got better and better and I can’t see why he can’t go better this week. The draw (No. 3) makes it a bit harder because he can’t lead this week. But I really like the horse.”

Egerton-Green also will drive six pacers from the stables of leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond with his best prospect among them expected to be Mighty Santana in race seven. He was impressed when he drove Mighty Santana for the only time in a 2631m stand at Pinjarra three starts ago when the five-year-old raced in the breeze for much of the way and won easily by two lengths from Captured Delight.

Ken Casellas