Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
“It’s been a big week, and I’m very happy,” said a delighted Kim Prentice after Mitch Miller had driven Soho Dow Jones to a convincing victory in the 2536m APG Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The outstanding horseman landed his one thousandth winner as a trainer when Crowd Control was successful at Bunbury last Tuesday. His next four starters for the week were Jimmy Rocks, a winner at Bunbury, Soho Santorini, a winner at Pinjarra on Wednesday when the Prentice-trained Tantabiddi finished second, and Soho Dow Jones on Friday night.
Prentice (62) has become only the fourth person in WA to have prepared a thousand winners as well as driving a thousand winners, joining Jim Schrader, Fred Kersley Jnr and Trevor Warwick in an exclusive club.
“I retired with 1001 winners as a driver, but I’m not intending retiring as a trainer any time in the near future,” he said.
Soho Dow Jones, the $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night, gave Miller (28) an excellent welcome home present a couple of days after returning to Perth following an enjoyable three-week holiday in England.
Soho Dow Jones surprisingly was beaten for early speed, with Gary Hall Jnr dashing $19 chance Firerockfireroll straight to the front from barrier four. Miller then had no trouble in sending Soho Dow Jones to the lead after 400m and the big five-year-old relished his frontrunning role.
He sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 27.9sec. to win by two and a half lengths from $10 chance Cordero, who ran home strongly from fourth at the bell. “I didn’t release the ear plugs and didn’t hit him,” said Miller.
Soho Dow Jones, who has had 47 starts for 13 wins, 14 placings and $159,731, is being set for the $50,000 Nights Of Thunder over 1730m on January 26. Heats of this event will be run, with the fastest nine qualifiers making up the field for the final.
“He won easily over 2536m tonight, but I think he is a better horse over 1730m,” said Prentice.