Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Inexperienced colt Soho Shakedown has made a bright start to his career with his first five starts producing four wins and a neck second, and he faces a moment of truth when he lines up against smart three-year-olds Belly Up, Captain Stirling, By Gee By Jingo and Hold The Ammo in the $21,000 HTA Setting New Standards In Hoisting Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Soho Shakedown is trained by Kim Prentice and will be driven by his regular reinsman Mitch Miller from the No. 4 barrier.
“It’s a small field (of eight runners), but there’s plenty of talent in it,” said Miller. “We have drawn the worst of the best three runners, and he hasn’t raced against the best three-year-olds yet, so this will be a good test.
“He has good gate speed but whether he can get across Belly Up (barrier one) and Captain Stirling (barrier two) might be a bit of a question. He hasn’t run super time yet, but he gives me the feel that he will only run as fast as the horse on his outside.
“Even at Pinjarra on Monday (when he led and won by more than three lengths, rating 1.58.2 over 2185m) he ran some very good sectionals, but his final 100m was in reverse. He has a lot of ability, so I think this will be a good test for him. He gives every indication that he is pretty smart.”
Belly Up, to be driven by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has won at two of his eight starts and will be racing first-up after a spell.
He last appeared when he broke soon after the start and took no competitive part in finishing a distant last behind Cyclone Jordy in the Golden Slipper on September 27. He was a winner at his previous start, beating Captain Stirling.
“I’m excited to have Belly Up back racing,” said Roberts. “He has grown up a lot and matured heaps, so hopefully he will be more tractable this time. He has a good draw and should run a nice race.”
Captain Stirling, trained and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, will be having his first start since finishing a neck second to Belly Up in the group 1 Westbred Classic on September 6. He is a smart colt who is sure to prove very hard to beat.
Trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo is confident that five-year-old Magnus Victor will prove hard to beat when he begins from the No. 1 barrier in the $23,000 HTA Reaching For The Top Pace.
“He has been racing well and if he finds the front it always helps,” said De Campo. “Spyglass (barrier two) was very impressive in winning last week, but hopefully finding the front will be the key to Magnus Victor getting the cash.”