Perfect Major drops in class

Victorian-bred four-year-old Perfect Major should appreciate a considerable drop in class and win the $19,000 Catalano Trucks Kenwick WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.  

Trained by Ross Olivieri and driven by the State’s leading reinsman Chris Voak, Perfect Major finished solidly when an excellent fifth behind Vultan Tin in the 2936m WA Pacing Cup last Friday week after setting the pace and winning from Chicago Bull in the 2130m Group 2 RWWA Cup the previous week. He also finished third behind Chicago Bull and Shockwave four starts ago.

Perfect Major has won at seven of his past ten starts and this week, from barrier six, he should prove too strong for his nine rivals who include Sir Galahad (barrier seven) and Cyclone Banner (eight).

Sir Galahad, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for trainer Gary Hall Snr, impressed at his second appearance after a spell when he was sixth in a field of seven at the bell before finishing strongly, out four wide, to be a head second to Cyclone Banner over 2130m last Friday night.

The Ray Williams-trained Cyclone Banner enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before he finished determinedly to score in a three-way photo finish. Williams will use Emily Suvaljko’s junior concession to rule Cyclone Banner eligible for this week’s event.  

Voak has given punters a good lead by choosing to drive Millwood Gucci in preference to the Ross Olivieri-trained pair of Just Makemine Diamonds and Zozo Ma Gogo in the Sefs Assets Finance Specialists Pace.

Millwood Gucci, a four-year-old Christian Cullen mare trained by Barry Howlett, will be having her first start for 15 weeks and is ideally drawn at barrier No. 1. She finished strongly when an easy Gloucester Park winner four starts ago and is capable of a solid first-up performance.

Just Makemine Diamonds will be driven by the in-form Mitch Miller, and Chris Playle will handle Zozo Ma Gogo.

Howlett holds a powerful hand in the race and will be looking for Somebeachparty to end a sequence of three second placings and notch her seventh win from just 18 starts. She will start from the No. 3 barrier and Hall jnr is expected to make full use of the five-year-old’s excellent gate speed.

Ken Casellas