Oaks favourite joins the Prentice team

Last year’s WA Oaks (2536m) favourite Soho Seraphine (Betting Line) is back in WA again, this time under the care of trainer Kim Prentice.

The four-year-old, previously trained and driven by Michael Stanley edged out eventual winner August Moon for favouritism in last year’s $150,000 feature, before finishing fourth in the event.

Prior to her WA Oaks effort, Soho Seraphine finished runner-up in last year’s New South Wales Oaks (2400m), fourth in the Vicbred Final (2200m) and won a three-year-old fillies’ event at Gloucester Park a week before the Oaks.

The daughter of Betting Line had two starts earlier this year as a four-year-old mare, the most recent of those at Menangle on Miracle Mile night.

Prentice said he was pleased to have the mare join his stable, after owner and breeder Robert Watson was enticed by the better prizemoney on offer in Perth.

“Robert sent her here because the stake money isn’t much chop over in Victoria,” Prentice told The Trots WA.

“She’s a nice filly and won more than $200,000 in her juvenile here years.

“She can develop into a nice mare here.

“They’re high-class mares we have here, so she would want to keep on improving too.”

Soho Seraphine regularly raced in front or in the breeze under the care of Stanley, including in the WA Oaks.

Prentice said he hoped the mare would also become adept in a sit-sprint capacity under his care.

“Mick drove her tough most of the time over east,” he said.

“We’ve been sitting her up in her trackwork and letting her get home.

“I’m happy with what she’s doing at the moment.”

Soho Seraphine is set to line up in Friday’s Kerry Clarke (2130m) at Gloucester Park, where she’s set to take on in-form mares Acharne Girl, Queeninthecorner and Three Rumours.

The mare has drawn barrier one for the $50,000 event and Prentice said he was confident she would be hard to get past if she drew to lead.

Meanwhile, another of Prentice’s recent stable acquisitions Soho Rhapsody is set for a short stint on the sidelines, following her unplaced performance first-up earlier this month.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Tim Walker, for RWWA