Soho Tribeca Photo by Scott Hamilton Media
“He’s not just a frontrunner; he’s just as good as a sit-sprinter,” declared a buoyant trainer-reinsman Kim Prentice when expounding the versatility of his star pacer Soho Tribeca.
So, Prentice is far from fazed that Soho Tribeca has drawn the outside barrier (No. 9) in the Retravision eighth heat of the TABtouch Inter Dominion championship at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Over the 2536m journey, we’ll try to get an easy run as possible if that’s in the breeze or sitting up,” he said.
Prentice said that Soho Tribeca had not been extended in winning heats over 2130m and 2100m on the first two nights of the rich series. “I haven’t released the ear plugs yet, and, hopefully, I won’t have to pull them until the final,” he said.
Soho Tribeca, an effortless winner by almost four lengths over New Zealand superstar Lazarus on the opening night of the carnival at Gloucester Park last Friday night, maintained his superb form when he began speedily from barrier six and took the lead after 350m on his way to strolling to victory over Devendra and Chicago Bull at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Tuesday night.
Soho Tribeca rated 1.55.2 over the 2100m, the slowest of the three heat winners at Bunbury, but Prentice said that it would be wise for punters to disregard that fact when assessing the five-year-old’s prospects in the eighth heat and in the $1.1 million final over the long trip of 2936m.
Soho Tribeca had the luxury of running the first two 400m sections of the final mile in 31.3sec. and 28.8sec. before final quarters of 28.4sec. and a sizzling 26.2sec.
“If I had let him go earlier, he would have run a lot quicker,” Prentice said. “Once we got to the front and Voaky (Chris Voak) came around with Vultan Tin to sit at our wheel and with Bully (Chicago Bull) three back on the fence, we just wanted to go as slow as we could.
“Soho Tribeca did become quite keen coming into the bell. And down the back he wanted to rock n roll like I did on Friday night, to make Lazarus chase. He was pulling pretty hard, but we didn’t have to go until we turned for home. If I had got running down the back, he would have put a bit of space on his rivals. I was just trying to do the right thing by him and give him a real easy heat.”
There is likely to be a keen battle for the early lead between speedy beginners San Carlo (barrier one) and Devendra (three) in Friday night’s heat. San Carlo showed his liking for leading when he set the pace for Rebecca Bartley and won the 2690m Maryborough Gold Cup from My Field Marshal three starts ago. He showed good gate speed and plenty of zip when a well-beaten third behind Tiger Tara and Lazarus in the sixth heat in Bunbury on Tuesday night.
Devendra (Todd Rattray) led from barrier one in the fifth heat in Bunbury and led for the first 350m before trailing the pacemaker Soho Tribeca and fighting on gamely to be second to Soho Tribeca.
Veteran Lennytheshark will start out wide at barrier seven in Friday night’s eighth heat after his shock defeat at 5/2 on in the fourth heat in Bunbury when he wilted in the home straight to finish third behind Galactic Star and Yayas Hot Spot.
Ace Victorian reinsman Chris Alford said that Lennytheshark could be excused for a rare below-par performance and that he was confident the eight-year-old would bounce back with a strong performance on Friday night.
