30 December 2020 | Ken Casellas
Chris Voak, the State’s leading driver for the 2019-20 season, admires the strong competitive nature of Thats Perfect, a former Victorian performer who is ready to break through for his first win in Western Australia when he starts from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the Retravision 60 Day Price Promise Pace at Gloucester Park on Thursday night.
Thats Perfect, trained by Ross Olivieri, has a 38 per cent winning record, and looks set for a bright career in WA where his first two runs were strong-finishing efforts for seconds to Bettorgrinanbarit and Cant Refuse before an outstanding last-start fifth behind Vivere Damore in the Group 2 Christmas Gift.
“He is a horse to follow,” said Voak. “He was extraordinary in my opinion in the Christmas Gift.”
An $11 chance from barrier seven in the Gift, Thats Perfect raced three wide for the first 500m and was unable to get to the breeze (when held out by the breeze horse To Fast To Serious) before Voak had no option but to restrain the five-year-old back to last in the field of 12.
Thats Perfect was still in last place 400m from home before he charged home, out five wide, to finish fifth. He drops in class in this week’s race, in which Mistahmistah (barrier one) and Sergeant Oats (two) loom as his most serious opponents.
Mistamistah, trained and driven by Lindsay Harper, is a smart frontrunner and looks the likely leader. He set the pace from barrier two when he dead-heated for first with Miss Limelight over 2130m at a 1.56.5 rate on December 21.
Sergeant Oats, trained by Courtney Burch at Byford, is a wonderfully consistent six-year-old who will be handled by Dylan Egerton-Green. Recent seconds to Wainui Creek and Thereugo were pointers to better things to come.
This event will mark the compulsory final appearance of the evergreen 13-year-old Maximum Demand, who will start from the No. 3 barrier for part-owner, breeder and trainer Kevin Egerton-Green.
Maximum Demand, who has raced 241 times for 20 wins, 44 placings and stakes of $204,014, will be driven by Jocelyn Young.
It was in 1999 that Young’s father Kim was working at the Alcoa refinery and convinced his workmates Kevin and Tim Egerton-Green and Cole Smith to buy Victorian mare Waranga Scooter. They agreed and Waranga Scooter gave them their first interest in harness racing.
Waranga Scooter was successful at her WA debut when Kim Young drove her to victory in a 2272m stand at Williams on February 13, 2000. Waranga Scooter had 32 starts for her new owners for eight wins and two placings before being retired to stud where all her five foals have been winners.
Maximum Demand’s siblings were Dilinger Magic (136 starts for seven wins, 25 placings and $54,938), Fifty Hertz (84 starts for six wins, 21 placings and $40,831), Heez Down To Earth (42 starts for four wins, nine placings and $23,286) and Sheez Edgy (50 starts for eight wins, nine placings and $68,453).
Maximum Demand has won eight times at Gloucester Park, four times at Bunbury and Pinjarra, twice at Busselton and once each at Narrogin and Harvey.
He has proved to be an iron horse this season during which he has raced 81 times for three wins and 11 placings. His latest success was four starts ago when Jocelyn Young brought him home with a spirited burst to defeat McArdles Gem and Burning Rubber over 2536m at Gloucester Park on December 5.
“He has been a wonderful old campaigner,” said Kevin Egerton-Green. “After racing so many times this season it is strange to say that he was able to have only three starts the previous season when he had tendon problems.
“His legs began to swell up and we had to put him out. It is the regulations that pacers have to retire at 14 years of age. Now, we will breed from him.”
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