Leviathan Perth breeder-owner Robert Watson is hoping for a fairytale ending to his quest for Derby success with three runners in the Group 1 $150,000 Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby at Melton on Saturday night.
“I have never won a state Derby before, and it’s a race I would love to win,” Watson said.
“I’m really excited by my chances, especially Soho Trump and Soho Charmer, with Soho Charmer, in my opinion, the run of the heats, facing the breeze outside a heavily favoured runner who he beat home by 50 metres in a slick 1:55.8 mile rate.”
Soho Trump, a son of the 2010 2YO Filly of the Year Aussie Made Lombo, led and was only collared in the last few strides in the second Derby heat. The half-brother to the Group 1 winner Soho Interceptor, the $130,000 earner Soho Moonraker and Listed placegetter Made For Me is poised to go one better in the Final.
Watson’s other Derby finalist is Soho Piastri, who finished fourth in his heat.
The trio are all prepared by expat Victorian Mick Stanley.
“What’s extra rewarding is the fact I bred all three, and in particular Soho Piastri and Soho Charmer, who are by Soho Tribeca, an outstanding horse I bred and raced, and now he’s doing a terrific job at stud,” Watson said.
“He’s now in the top 20 on the national stallion’s list and only has three crops racing. He’s standing his first season at Cobbitty Equine Farms in NSW this year.”
Soho Tribeca has left 78 winners from 105 starters for progeny earnings of $2,368,579, of which $1,170,214 has been won this year.
The list of horses bred under Watson’s Soho Standardbreds banner reads like a classics date book. It includes the WA Pacing Cup and Kilmore Cup winner Soho Tribeca, Soho Lennon, Carlas Pixel, Soho Valencia, Soho Wall Street, the former fastest-ever Australian-bred Soho Burning Love, Soho Nolita and the dual Oaks winner Soho Americano.
• Duke Of Bourbon, the winner of the Listed $75,000 NZ Harness Million at Addington, was bred by Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms out of the champion racemare Dance Craze.
• Central Victorian breeders Neville and Wendy Dewhurst have brought out a smart three-year-old filly in Krissy, who won at the Kilmore midweek meeting. The filly is out of the Group 3 winner Ponder Girl.
• The three-year-old Major Friend, who broke maiden ranks by coming from last at Shepparton recently, was bred and is raced by a pair of well-known Goulburn Valley identities, Helen Head and Patsy Abrahams.
