Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Astute trainer Kim Prentice produced Soho Honey Rider and Soho Vesper Lind in fine fettle for their first-up West Australian debuts in the $21,000 The West Australian Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Soho Honey Rider was all the rage and was the $1.90 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of five, while Soho Vesper Lind was splendid value at $8.40 at barrier two.
Soho Vesper Lind, driven by Stuart McDonald, upstaged her stablemate by scoring an impressive victory, beating the $4.60 pacemaker Luci Kane by 2m, with Soho Honey Rider 5m back in third place.
The event was run in an Indian file figuration until Mitch Miller eased Soho Honey Rider off the pegs with 900m to travel.
Soho Honey Rider moved to the breeze in the back straight and had Soho Vesper Lind in a pocket. Soho Honey Rider was still second on the home turn, with Soho Vesper Lind badly blocked for a run. However, Soho Honey Rider began to weaken, and this enabled McDonald to get Soho Vesper Lind into the clear with 130m to travel, and the filly finished powerfully to win convincingly at her first start for three months.
“I got the better run than Soho Honey Rider from the better draw,” said McDonald. “Soho Vesper Lind travelled well, and I thought that if I was able to get a gap, she would go close to winning. And I got that gap, and she took it and won.”
Soho Vesper Lind is by Art Major and is the third foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Soho Madeleine, who had 33 starts for nine wins, 15 placings and $96,803.
Soho Vesper Lind has earned $62,445 from three wins and six placings from 20 starts. His dam is a full-sister to former star pacer Suave Stuey Lombo, who had 110 starts for 33 wins, 23 placings and $587,032 in stakes.