McCormick gets great kick out of win

"It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on."

When the above line is the winning driver’s quote from race 1 at Oamaru yesterday, the day ahead is looking pretty good.

The throwaway line came from Ashburton driver David McCormick, as Sugar Cane provided him with his first win in the sulky since Good Charlotte won at Greymouth in March 2006.

Yesterday’s success was also McCormick’s first win as a trainer since Glendaloch won at Rangiora in July 2012.

McCormick does not drive too often, letting son Laurence take the reins for most of his team, but gets a great kick out of driving when he is out there, leading to the quote above.

The Diedre Don mare has been challenging at times for McCormick — his word to describe her probably doesn’t belong in the Otago Daily Times — but she was good enough to come into yesterday’s race without an official trial under her belt.

"They worked 3.12 [for 2400m] at Ashburton last Saturday, so we were quite happy. Five of us worked there together so you could say it was a trial."

A trial seems like an apt description for Perfectly Ideal’s win after driver Matt Purvis positively stole the junior drivers’ 2000m mobile pace.

Purvis led the nine-horse field through a glacial first 800m of the last mile in 71.5sec.

Perfectly Ideal’s trainer Phillip Devery, of Invercargill, had a wry smile on his face after the race following a chat with Purvis.

"He said he jogged that which he should have," Devery said.

"So that shouldn’t knock him around."

The 4yr-old has taken time to mature — "he’s called Boof at home" — yet still managed to win twice as a 3yr-old.

"He picked up those two last year when he really shouldn’t have. I still think he’s a year away from his best."

Devery is targeting the South Of The Waitaki race at Addington on Show Day for Perfectly Ideal.

All Settled Down’s target is a lot more short-term than Perfectly Ideal’s.

She was all business winning the c1 trot yesterday, but her next chance for action will be off the track.

The daughter of Sundon is set to be served in the next few weeks by Love You, trainer Gavin Smith said.

Now 6, All Settled Down has always had a "big motor" but had been plagued by unsoundness earlier in her career, prompting connections to send her to Majestic Son during the 2014 season, producing a colt which is now a yearling.

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