Soho Trump hits his stride ahead of Derby test

Soho Trump (Captain Crunch – Aussie Made Lombo) heads into the second heat of the Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby at Melton on Saturday night on the back of two dominant front-running harness racing wins.

Trainer Mick Stanley considered skipping the Derby for a Western Australian campaign in late September, but the colt has officially accepted for the heats. He is also quoted at $15 for the $1.5 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on November 21.

His talent showed early. Before last November’s Group 2 Vicbred 2YO Final, Stanley rated him the best of his three finalists.

“I’d say Soho Trump is the best on sheer ability,” Stanley said.

The colt backed that up by leading all the way for Chris Alford as the $2 favourite. Alford had extra reason to enjoy the win, given his history with the colt’s dam, Aussie Made Lombo.

“I actually won the Bathurst Gold Tiara on this bloke’s mother,” Alford said.

He had also driven the colt’s granddam, Tailamade Lombo, one of the best racemares this country has produced.

His three-year-old season in New South Wales was mixed. He ran third behind unbeaten Hollywood Strip in the Simpson Memorial, then won at Menangle in a career-best winning mile rate of 1:51.4. Tougher assignments followed, with a tenth in the Group 1 NSW Derby and an eighth in the Group 2 Gold Chalice Final at Bathurst.

After a winter break he returned in August with wins at Menangle and in a Vicbred heat at Kilmore, showing gate speed and leading both times. His Vicbred campaign then hit a setback when he finished ninth in his Vicbred semi-final, a run the stewards formally queried.

SOHO TRUMP VICBRED HEAT REPLAY

He answered that emphatically in the Silver Pace consolation at Melton on September 18. He led from the pole, ran quarters of 28.5, 29.8, 27.7 and 28.1, and drew away to beat Emma Stewart’s well-backed Seaside Boy ($1.85) by 9.5 metres in a 1:53.3 mile rate.

Eight days later he did it again in the Victorian Sires Classic. Starting the $1.55 favourite from the pole, Soho Trump found the front and was never challenged. With the field in single file behind him, he ran a soft lead time of 46.7 with quarters of 31.1 and 30.3, then came home in 28.1 and 26.3 to beat Brooklyn Dan by 7.8 metres, with Dynamitedan a nose away third.

“He has a good turn of foot when he gets it his own way,” Stanley said.

He added that the Silver Pace had shown how strong the colt is when the pace is even. His gate speed will be key on Saturday. Soho Trump has shown gate speed at each of his last four starts and has been in front at the bell in three of them. If he finds the lead again in the Derby heat, he will be hard to run down, although Le Cardinal and Brooklyn Dan ensure it will be no easy task.

Soho Trump has won eight of his 15 starts and earned $109,357. He is out of the Bettors Delight mare Aussie Made Lombo and was bred and is raced by Rob Watson, whose partnership with Stanley began with a cold phone call a decade ago. Watson already has a Eureka win, as the slot holder (Soho Standardbreds) when Bay Of Biscay won last year’s race.

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