Talented young reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Bletchley Park in preference to Taroona Bromac in the $20,000 Rotary Club Fremantle Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This will be an acid test for four-year-old Bletchley Park, who has scored decisive victories against considerably weaker opposition at his past two starts.
However, Bletchley Park, prepared by Stephen Reed in Bunbury, has the potential to match strides with Taroona Bromac and his stablemates Our Jimmy Johnstone and Ocean Ridge, who are trained by Greg and Skye Bond, as well as Vultan Tin, Tommy Be Good and Always An Honour.
Bletchley Park notched his 13TH victory from 30 starts three Fridays ago when he raced wide early and then in the breeze before taking the lead on the home turn and winning at a 1.56 rate from rank outsider Suzies Gem over 2130m.
He showed that he retains his strong form with a splendid effort in a three-horse trial over 2100m at Bunbury last Saturday when he raced without cover for the first 500m and then set the pace before sprinting over the final two 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 27.3sec. to beat The Thinking Man by nine lengths.
Egerton-Green has a 100 per cent record in the sulky behind Bletchley Park two drives for two wins, as a two-year-old in July 2018 and at his latest appearance.
Taroona Bromac, an up-and-coming four-year-old who raced four times in New Zealand for three wins and 14 times in Western Australia for nine wins, will be driven this week for the first time by Michael Grantham from barrier three in the field of eight. He has been handled at his latest two starts by Ryan Warwick for wins over 2130m at Gloucester Park.
Warwick will drive Ocean Ridge, a highly-promising five-year-old who won at three of his ten starts in New Zealand before racing 27 times in WA for nine wins and seven placings. Ocean Ridge finished strongly to win from Shockwave and Chicago Bull three starts ago and followed that upset victory with close seconds to Talkerup and Chicago Bull.
He will start from the No. 4 barrier on Friday night, with his 11-year-old stablemate Our Jimmy Johnstone (Bailey McDonough) sure to take plenty of beating from the coveted No. 1 barrier. Our Jimmy Johnstone, a winner at two of his past five starts, is versatile and is a capable frontrunner. There is a strong possibility that McDonough will attempt an all-the-way victory.
Egerton-Green faces a busy evening with drives in eight of the ten events. He had the choice between Talks Up A Storm and Beat The Bank in the final event, the Catalano Truck And Equipment Pace for two-year-olds, and opted for the Murray Lindau-trained Talks Up A Storm, with trainer Justin Prentice deciding to handle Beat The Bank.
Talks Up A Storm set the pace when a brilliant winner of the group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings on February 28. He then went for a spell and resumed racing three Fridays ago when he started from barrier eight and impressed in finishing powerfully from ninth (three wide) at the bell to be a close third behind Overjoyed and Give Us A Wave.
Talks Up A Storm has bright prospects of winning this week, with his main rivals appearing to be Black Jack Baby and Beat The Bank.
Black Jack Baby will be driven by Chris Voak for breeder-owner-trainer Shane Quadrio and the filly, reappearing after a spell, is capable of a solid showing from barrier three. She has raced five times for four wins and a last-start close second to Rumour Has It on March 20.
