13yo marvel still punching above his years

“Age is whatever you think it is.” So said one of the greatest boxers of all time Muhammad Ali.

And while Ali stands alone for his record 56 professional bout wins (including 37 knockouts), sprightly Western Australian pacer Maximum Demand has taken to heart the great pugilist’s wisdom – that “you’re only as old as you think you are”.

The 13-year-old marvel took the honors again at Perth’s Gloucester Park on Tuesday night and clearly still has a lesson or two of his own to hand out to younger rivals!

“He’s probably racing as well as he ever has. He’s been going awesome,” said trainer and part-owner Kevin Egerton-Green, who is based at Harvey.

“We thought he was a bit stiff in a few of his recent runs. He is feeling on top of the world and looks so good,” he said.

Maximum Demand (Northern Luck-Waranga Scooter (Stoneridge Scooter), raced by Kevin’s youngest son Logan, has now won 18 races with 36 placings for nearly $169,000.

His latest triumph was courtesy of a sensational drive by reinswoman Jocelyn Young, who was quick to snag the old fellow off the gate and settle four back on the pegs over the marathon trip of 2536 metres.

The pair shifted off the fence at the bell, then moved three wide approaching the final corner. But Young was faced with a wall of horses and quickly switched back to the inside, looking for a run. It proved a winning move, as she spotted a gap, weaved through and dashed clear over the final stages to win nicely by nearly five metres.

Trainer Kevin Egerton-Green and driver Jocelyn Young with WA’s old marvel, Maximum Demand

Egerton-Green didn’t grow up with horses, but got into the sport about 20 years ago when he purchased a Crouch-sired filly named Dream Dancing with his brother Tim and an old footy mate K.C (Cole) Smith.  The group later followed up with a former Victorian mare Waranga Scooter.

“Dream Dancing was prepared for us by Kim and Shane Young and won six with 31 placings. One of her highlights was a third in the $75,000 WA Oaks, which was terrific,” Egerton-Green said.

“We also gave Waranga Scooter to Kim to train and drive and she won for us twice in a week at her first two starts —the first at Williams and then she took out the King Coal Cup at Collie.

“She won another four, including a $13,000 Fillies and Mares Stakes at Gloucester Park, and then we retired her to stud.”

The first foal Dilinger Magic (DM Dilinger) won two before Egerton-Green got his trainer’s licence in early 2008.

Soon afterwards they combined to get the money at Harvey and provide Egerton-Green with his first training success. More wins followed at Collie, Gloucester Park, Bunbury and Harvey once more.

Maximum Demand was the next foal. He was followed by Fifty Hertz (six wins), Heez Down to Earth (four) and Sheez Edgy (eight).

Egerton-Green said when Maximum Demand was broken in, he wouldn’t pace a yard.

“All he wanted to do was trot. So young Logan and an old mate use to jog him 13kms up a gravel road. Day after day they’d do this—then finally he clicked into a pace and hasn’t looked back,” he said.

“He did a tendon twice in a front leg and Logan and our other son Dylan were in charge of rehab. They got the horse back, which was full credit to the boys.

“He does get a little time in the water. Not a great deal because he swims like a rock! I suppose most of his training is done on our soft tracks off the lead, with a few fast gallop sessions.”

Egerton-Green said the career of Maximum Demand came close to ending during last season.

“We basically retired him because his back legs blew up. He only had three or four runs and we threw him out into an irrigated paddock,” he said.

“In just a few months he picked up unbelievably, so it was decided to give him another go—and now he’s had two wins, a handful of placings and a few ‘hard luck stories’.

“It’s a 100 percent hobby as our electrical business comes first, but we must love it because it’s nothing unusual to get home from work late and be doing the horses until 9pm.

“We operate Harvey Electrical Services and also do a lot of specialized work. Both Dylan and Logan work for our company and a cousin of mine in Bill Jones comes and helps around the stables.

“Bill is awesome and there wouldn’t have been a happier person when Maximum Demand won this week. He’s been in the game ‘for 100 years’ and had a bad fall at Collie that put him in hospital for six months, but he’s okay now.”

Maximum Demand will face the starter again this Friday night at Gloucester Park.

Egerton-Green said the “old boy” would be retired at the end of the season as WA rules don’t permit horses to race as 14-year olds.

“He’s going to be hard to replace. He’s a stallion who has just been a beautiful, brilliant horse. We’d love to have a couple more like him in the stable. But he has a home for life with us that’s for sure!”

 

Terry Gange

NewsAlert PR Mildura