Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Smart four-year-old mare Soho Seraphine is fit and ready to shine in the $50,000 Group 3 Kerry Clarke Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to her driver Mitch Miller.
Soho Seraphine, bred and owned by Rob Watson and trained by Kim Prentice, faces an interesting challenge of winning at her first-up appearance after a 15-week absence.
“She has been here (in WA) for about eight weeks and has had a good body of work,” said Miller. “Her work at home has been impressive. She has been a noted frontrunner for most of her career, and I think she will lead (from the No. 1 barrier) and be hard to beat.
“Friday night’s event looks an even Free-For-All for mares, without any real standouts. Soho Seraphine still will have to be good to win, but she has all the favours, drawing barrier one. I expect her to measure up to be among the best mares in the State.”
Soho Seraphine has raced 30 times for eight wins (five when leading all the way), nine seconds and five thirds for earnings of $202,532. She has been unplaced at her past four starts (twice when setting the pace), and at her most recent appearance she raced at the rear and finished last in a field of ten over 1609m at Menangle on March 9.
In February 2023 Soho Seraphine won a heat of the New South Wales Derby at Menangle, beating Windy Hill Tara, before setting the pace in the final the following week and finishing second to Windy Hill Tara.
She then came to Western Australia seven months later when she led from barrier eight for reinsman Kyle Harper and scored a runaway victory from Purest Copper in a heat of the WA Oaks at Gloucester Park.
A week later Soho Seraphine was the $2.10 favourite in the Oaks final for trainer-reinsman Mick Stanley when she began from the No. 2 barrier on the back line. She settled in seventh position in the one-wide line before starting a three-wide move after 700m to get to the breeze at the 1400m. She fought on gamely to finish a close fourth behind August Moon, Turn The Page and Zephyra.
Looming large as a serious danger to Soho Seraphine is Three Rumours, to be driven by Gary Hall Jnr for Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey.
Three Rumours, who has earned $221,037 from eleven wins, 19 seconds and three thirds, will begin from the No. 2 barrier on the back line in the field of twelve. She warmed up for this week’s assignment in wonderful style last Friday week when she raced in the breeze before bursting to the front 480m from home and racing away to win by four lengths from Brulee, rating 1.56.1 over 2130m.
“That was a very good run,” said Turvey. “She will need things to go our way, but she should get a good run.”
Turvey will drive his stable’s No. 2 runner Eve Crocker, who has won at her past two starts, at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park. “She will find it hard from out wide at barrier eight,” said Turvey.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell is looking for a strong showing from Queeninthecorner, who is favourably drawn at barrier two and will be driven by Hayden Charles. Queeninthecorner led when a close second to Eve Crocker last Friday night after setting the pace and winning over 2130m at her two previous outings.
“Everyone thinks Queeninthecorner is just a leader and a roller,” said Bell. “But she can be sat up and be just as good.”
Busselton owner-trainer Barry Howlett is setting the lightly-raced five-year-old Little Darling the task of running a strong race at her first appearance for six months.
Little Darling, to be driven by Chris Lewis from barrier six, warmed up for Friday night’s race in fine style by sprinting over the final quarters in 27.9sec. and 28.4sec. and winning a 2100m trial at Bunbury last Saturday.
Also resuming after a spell will be the Murray Lindau-trained Beyond The Sea, a talented mare who has raced 46 times for eleven wins and eleven placings for stakes of $185,866.
Beyond The Sea, who will be making her first appearance for 13 weeks, will start from the outside of the back line and is capable of a bold showing.
Stuart McDonald will drive Acharne Girl for trainer Gary Hall Snr. The five-year-old is racing well and should be prominent from the inside of the back line, with the prospect of enjoying a perfect sit behind the likely pacemaker Soho Seraphine.
Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo’s five-year-old Sovrana impressed with her first-up performance last Friday week when she began out wide at barrier eight and was ninth at the bell before running home powerfully, out four wide, to finish fourth behind Three Rumours. She will begin from the No. 5 barrier.