Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Soho Santorini continued his rise to prominence when he gave a splendid frontrunning performance to win the 2130m Perth Now Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He has never raced better,” said trainer Kim Prentice after Mitch Miller had driven the five-year-old to a one-length victory over Flying Rumour, rating 1.56.7 after final quarters of 27.2sec. and 28.6sec.
“I’ve always had a reasonably high opinion of the horse, but he hasn’t really showed it until the past six to eight weeks. He has been a frustrating horse, telling Robert (owner Rob Watson) that I considered he was a nice horse, but we had to wait until he matured.
“Hopefully, he has matured, and I don’t really know why he has turned things around. He used to hang and do things wrong when he was young, and the vets couldn’t pick up any soreness.
“Earlier, Soho Santorini’s final 100 metres of a race were his worst. Now, it is about his best, and he is getting through the line (strongly). I’m very happy with him and his past five or six runs have been top class. We haven’t changed his work, and he is a really happy horse.”
Soho Santorini, the $2.30 second favourite, was smartest into stride from barrier two and he was never seriously challenged. Flying Rumour, a $61 outsider, surged forward from barrier eight to race in the breeze, and he fought on well to finish second.
Hotly Pursued, the $2.20 favourite from barrier five, settled down in seventh position before dashing forward, three wide, to be second at the bell. He finished a close-up fourth.
Soho Santorini, bought by Watson for $27,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, is by American stallion Sunshine Beach and is the third foal out of Jeremes Jet mare Hannah Isabella, who was retired after finishing last at her only start (as a three-year-old at Gloucester Park in January 2014).
Hanna Isabella’s dam Bonnie Blue Eyes raced 44 times for 12 wins, 16 placings and $87,565, and she has produced nine winners, including No Blue Mana, who won at his first ten starts and was retired with earnings of $628,157 from 41 wins and 25 placings from 105 starts.
Soho Santorini now has raced 30 times for eleven wins and nine placings for stakes of $86,394.