Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Before travelling to Gloucester Park on Friday night reinsman Mitch Miller purchased a passion fruit sponge cake to give to astute trainer Kim Prentice for his 63RD birthday, and then he presented him with further gifts by driving a double with Soho Dow Jones and Crowd Control.
Miller said that the wins were a just reward for Prentice, who has been working overtime during the past couple of months to keep his stable’s pacers fit and well.
“All our horses have been affected by an infection for the past month or two, and their heart rates are now starting to come down, showing that they are recovering better from their work,” said Prentice.
The 29-year-old Miller excelled in the sulky to win the $50,000 The Running Camel Binshaw Pace with Soho Dow Jones, 30 minutes after scoring a brilliant victory with Crowd Control in the $21,000 Adopt A Camel Pace.
“The double has been a good result, particularly after the whole stable has been sick and Kim has had a tough time over the past month or so,” said Miller.
“Every horse on the property has been crook, suffering from a virus and gut issues, and Kim has had his work cut out treating the horses, getting medication, doing bloods and making sure that they are all cherry ripe, and making me look good.”
Soho Dow Jones was a $16.50 chance from the No. 4 barrier in the Binshaw Pace, and Miller drove aggressively by sending the five-year-old forward, three wide, in the first lap to race in the breeze, with the $2 favourite All Is Well setting the pace.
All Is Well set comfortable times with a lead time of 37.2sec. and opening quarters of 30.1sec. and 31.4sec. before the tempo was lifted with smart final 400m sections of 28.6sec. and 28sec.
Soho Dow Jones moved on terms with All Is Well with 350m to travel before gaining a clear advantage before the home turn and going on to win by 2m from the $2.90 second favourite Miki Jet, who began from the inside of the back line and trailed the pacemaker.
Miller held Soho Dow Jones back in the breeze to keep the brilliant Miki Jet under lock and key on the pegs until Gary Hall Jnr was finally able to get into the clear 120m from the post. But by that time Soho Dow Jones was a clear leader and had the victory sewn up.
Chivalry ($10) finished third after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position, while All Is Well wilted to finish fourth.
“Soho Dow Jones showed a lot of heart,” said Miller. “He has been flying in Free-For-Alls in this campaign.”
Soho Dow Jones, who finished third behind Tricky Miki and Wonderful To Fly in the Golden Nugget last December, has earned $226,405 from 15 wins and 17 placings from 62 starts.