Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star trainer Kim Prentice and reinsman Mitch Miller completed a double when Soho Firestone, the $1.60 favourite from the No. 3 barrier, carried too many guns for his rivals when he scored an easy win in the $21,000 Cyclone Jordy Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The American Ideal horse has thrived on a heavy program of racing in 2024, with his 27 starts as a four-year-old this year producing four wins, six seconds and two thirds, taking his record to 53 starts for 12 wins, 15 placings and stakes of $145,359.
“He has had a long campaign, and this win was a good reward for the horse,” said Miller, who had combined with Prentice to win with Franco Ecuador earlier in the night.
“Soho Firestone got away with a fair bit early, and if he wasn’t winning from there then he would’ve been a long way off his best. I would’ve liked it if he had got home a bit better. Perhaps I’m being super fussy. He is probably not quite at his peak at the moment.”
Soho Firestone, who had been unplaced at his previous six starts in considerably stronger company, set the pace with a dawdling lead time of 38.8sec. and casual opening quarters of 31.5sec. and 30.6sec. before he dashed over the final 800m in 56.2sec. to win at a 1.58.7 rate. He beat $8 chance Rascal by two lengths.