Prentice Primed For Cup Challenge
9 January, 2018
Harness
Kim Prentice is hoping to put a tough start to 2018 behind him, and attempt to cause a major Fremantle Cup boilover when he drives Soho Tribeca in the feature event at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Prentice has been suspended from training, after Extradite returned a positive swab when he won at Northam on November 25.
Now under the care of Bryan Cousins, Soho Tribeca will take part in this Friday night’s Group 1, and Prentice has been cleared to take the drive.
Prentice said Soho Tribeca, who will start from the outside of the front row, would find it hard to beat Lazarus, who drew barrier five.
“He’s a champion horse, with a champion trainer,” Prentice said on TABradio’s The Sports Daily.
“I’m not saying he can’t be beaten, especially at Gloucester Park.”
Soho Tribeca finished sixth in the Inter Dominion, before a last start second to Bettors Fire in the Village Kid Sprint.
The five-year-old beat key Fremantle Cup rivals in the Village Kid Sprint on December 30, but Prentice said he would like to have seen a little bit more from the pacer on that occasion, but his work since then suggested he could be back to his best.
“His last run, even though he sat in the breeze, ran second and Chicago Bull couldn’t get over the top of him, it was probably the worst of his campaign,” he said.
“But he worked super this morning.
“I was really happy with him.”
Lazarus is $1.40 on TABtouch, with Golden Nugget winner Ultimate Machete and Chicago Bull sharing the second line of betting at $8.
Tim Walker