Three-year-old gelding Golden Tribe showed his class when taking on the older horses in the Sharps Bakery Pace on Saturday night.
Drawn the tricky barrier of 12, he was last with a lap to run before unleashing a powerful move to loop the field and score impressively. The win came in a career-best mile rate of 1:53.1, but more significantly, he smashed the clock on his individual sectionals after covering an extra 27 metres in the run.
Driver Lochie Cook, 25, has now driven 197 winners and was glowing in his praise of the rising star.
“He’s pretty good,” Cook said in his post-race interview.
“He loomed up pretty good and got to them quite easily and powered away, it was pretty impressive. We know he’s got a motor and he’s a very progressive horse.
“He keeps on taking the next step and he was doing everything right tonight and is becoming a really nice horse that will be in the top grade in the future.
“I don’t drive many horses like this, he is a star.”
Golden Tribe is prepared by another young talent, 25-year-old Tom Rundle, who has now trained 18 career winners with his stable earnings passing $100,000 courtesy of the victory.
“Tommy Rundle has done a really good job with him and he will get the most out of him and get him to the top grade,” Cook said.
The son of Soho Tribeca out of Golden Valour has started his preparation in perfect fashion, making it two wins from as many runs. He was just as impressive first-up at Ballarat on September 18, where he broke after the start but quickly recovered to score by 13.8 metres.
Purchased by Rundle for $10,000 at the 2023 Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale, Golden Tribe was bred by Garry and Melva Graham and prepared for the sale by Garry and Kirsten Graham.
His career now stands at 17 starts for seven wins and he continues to emerge as an exciting prospect.
