Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko made the most of a chance drive to handle Soho Santorini for the first time when the Kim Prentice-trained six-year-old began from the No. 5 barrier in the $30,000 Ascot Group WA Im Themightyquinn Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was engaged to drive Soho Santorini after the gelding’s regular reinsman Mitch Miller opted to handle stablemate Franco Ecuador from the inside of the back line.
“Kim said that if you lead, you will win,” said Suvaljko after she had dashed Soho Santorini, a $16 chance, to the front after 70m and then set the pace on the way to victory by just under a length from the $3.50 favourite Ima Fivestar General.
Suvaljko was acutely aware that the polemarker Ima Fivestar General was enjoying a perfect trip behind the frontrunning Soho Santorini.
“I expected Ima Fivestar General to be the main danger, so I had to make sure that I had to block him in,” she said. Suvaljko kept Ima Fivestar General in a watertight pocket until she dashed Soho Santorini away in the final stages. Ima Fivestar General then got into the clear and ran home strongly.
Franco Ecuador raced three back on the pegs in fifth position and was blocked for a clear run until the late stages, when he finished in 11TH place. The eye-catching run came from the $3.90 second fancy Spyglass, who raced at the rear before flying home, out six wide, to finish a close seventh.
“Soho Santorini travelled really good and every time he got to the straight, he grabbed the bit and got going,” said Suvaljko. “We got away with a slow lead time (38.3sec.) and nice enough sectionals to make it a sprint home. I wanted to keep Ima Fivestar General locked in behind me, and we kept him there for long enough.”
Soho Santorini is by Sunshine Beach and is out of Jeremes Jet mare Hannah Isabella, who was retired after one start when finishing last in a race at Gloucester Park in January 2014. On the credit side, Hannah Isabella is a half-sister to nine winners, including No Blue Manna (105 starts for 41 wins, 25 placings and $628,157).