A star-studded field of 12 will contest the group 1 $125,000 McInerney Ford Classic over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night and trainer-reinsman Kim Prentice sounded an ominous warning to his rivals when he predicted big things from Soho Tribeca.
Soho Tribeca, a brilliant winner over 2130m in weaker company last Friday night, is awkwardly drawn at barrier five. But Prentice is going into battle full of confidence.
Soho Tribeca, a former Victorian performer, is unbeaten at his first two runs for Prentice, leading all the way and winning from Franco Rayner and Chicago Bull over 2185m at a 1.56 rate at Pinjarra on November 7 and then giving a powerful display to win from Cut For An Ace and Ohoka Kentucky at a 1.55.3 rate last Friday night.
Prentice restrained Soho Tribeca from the No. 4 barrier before sending the American Ideal stallion forward, three wide and following Ohoka Kentucky after a lap had been completed. Soho Tribeca eventually forged to the front at the bell and won by one and a half lengths.
”After a 28.4sec. second quarter and racing three wide in the middle stages, he’s going to run any time in the good races,” Prentice said.
“He will improve on the run; I’ve been a bit easy on him since his Pinjarra win. I think he had something up his sleeve at the finish. Rob (owner Rob Watson) said that the horse always switched off in his races, but he didn’t switch off in this race. Hopefully, we’ve got him at a different fitness level. He could have kept going and it took me 400m to pull him up.
“I rang Chris Alford and he said that he’s really good with a sit. If they’re running time and he’s sitting back, he can peel off a really quick quarter. I’ve honestly only had two better pacers –— and one (Baltic Eagle) won an interdominion championship and the other (Big Town Walton) finished fourth.”
Adding considerable interest to the race will be the first appearance in Western Australia of the highly-rated New Zealand gelding Mr Mojito and the former Victorian performer Motu Gatecrasher.
Mr Mojito, to be driven by his trainer Mark Purdon, will start from the inside of the back line and Motu Gatecrasher, a newcomer to Ross Olivieri’s stable, has drawn the coveted No. 1 barrier on the front line and will be driven by star reinsman Chris Lewis.
Mr Mojito has had only nine starts for seven wins and a second placing after a first-up failure. He rated 1.55.2 when he won easily from Captain Dolmio over 2600m at Addington on November 8.
“It’s an awkward draw, but he’s a lovely horse who has climbed the ladder pretty quickly and at his latest start he was very good and the time they went was extra good,” Purdon said.
Motu Gatecrasher has won at 11 of his 20 starts and is a noted frontrunner. He was a 10/1 on favourite at his latest start when he worked hard in the breeze all the way and finished second to Bad Boy Brad over 2150m at Bendigo on October 25. His past ten starts have produced eight wins and two seconds.
Chicago Bull, last season’s WA Derby winner and a winner at 15 of his 25 starts, will lead the challenge of ace trainer Gary Hall sen., whose other runners Harry Hoo and King Lebron are in good form.
Chicago Bull will start from the No. 6 barrier and should fight out the finish. He had a tough run without cover at his latest appearance when third behind Soho Tribeca at Pinjarra.
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice holds a strong hand in the $50,000 Clipsal By Schneider Electric Norms Daughter Classic over 2130m with Major Reality, Quite A Delight and The Parade.
Prentice will drive Major Reality, winner of the WA Oaks in May 2015, who is favourably drawn at the No. 1 barrier. Prentice has engaged Gavin Lang to handle Quite A Delight (barrier eight) and Chris Alford for The Parade (inside of the back line).
The all-conquering Dodolicious for the Bond stable, will be driven by Ryan Warwick and is favourably drawn at barrier two on the front line. She will be hard to beat.
