[PHOTO: Western Racepix]
Grey gelding Who Be Whatee scored his first career win at Northam on Thursday when justifying his short-priced favouritism in the Let Go Thommo Maiden (1300m).
Starting the $1.95 favourite off the back of narrow second placings at his previous two starts, the Vert De Grece three-year-old was settled one-out and one-back by jockey Clint Johnston-Porter and travelled strongly approaching the home turn.
Johnston-Porter was able to extricate him into the clear on straightening and he hit the front in a matter of strides before pulling away from his rivals over the final furlong to score a soft one-and-a-quarter length victory.
Our Nemesis ($101) ran second with a further length back to Garden Quartz ($11) in third place.
The Geisel Park-bred Who Be Whatee is only in his first race preparation and has now had four career starts for a win and two second placings.
The win was Pearce Racing’s 72nd of the 2022/23 season so far and comes ahead of a big weekend for the stable with 16 runners engaged to race across Saturday and Sunday’s Belmont and Kalgoorlie meetings.