Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Veteran pacer To Fast To Serious retains plenty of life in his eight-year-old legs, and he bounced back to form at his third start after a spell when he unwound a strong finishing sprint to get up and snatch victory in the $31,000 The Lady Camel James Brennan Memorial Consolation over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was a $23 chance, and his win by a neck over the pacemaker and $3 favourite Alcopony ended a 20-month drought.
Driven by his trainer Dylan Egerton-Green, the WA-bred To Fast To Serious began from barrier two on the back line and the gelding enjoyed a cosy trip, three back on the pegs, but was badly blocked for a run, in sixth place in with 450m to travel.
However, when Deni Roberts eased Steel The Show ($3.60) off the pegs from behind the pacemaker at the 350m mark, Egerton-Green was able to guide To Fast To Serious through along the inside. To Fast To Serious was still hampered for room approaching the home turn, but Egerton-Green was able to angle his way between horses and get To Fast To Serious out three wide.
To Fast To Serious charged to victory, rating 1.56.7, with final quarters of 28.5sec. and 28.4sec. This took his record to 67 starts for 19 wins, 17 placings and $286,971.
“I expected To Fast To Serious to get an economical run tonight,” said Egerton-Green. “Three the fence was perfect for him, and he was able to bully his way to the front after we had done a bit of manoeuvring on the corner to get clear.
“He dropped back in grade tonight, and he was able to capitalise on that. He is not in the rankings for the WA Pacing Cup, but I’m hoping he will perform well in the $100,000 J. P. Stratton Cup in a fortnight to at least earn a start in the Cup consolation.”
To Fast To Serious won at his first four starts (as a two-year-old in 2018), including the Group 1 Westbred Classic when he beat Shockwave by a half-head.
In late 2022 Egerton-Green took To Fast To Serious to Victoria to contest the Interdominion Championship, where he was unplaced in qualifying heats at Ballarat, Shepparton and Geelong before finishing fourth in a consolation at Melton.
After that there were no suitable flights available to get the gelding back to WA, so he travelled to New South Wales where he won a minor 1609m event in 1.52.4 at Newcastle before having five unplaced runs at Menangle. His next eleven runs were back in WA, resulting in four placings and Friday night’s victory.