And, to be honest, he was never sure it would come.
When Prentice climbed harness racing’s Mt Everest to win the 2003 Christchurch Inter Dominion, he never thought he would experience that buzz again.
Nor did he think he’d get another horse as good, let alone better than, Baltic Eagle.
Now he’s done one and could do the other.
Soho Tribeca has been THE find of this Perth Inter Dominion series.
As exciting as looked in the lead-up races, Prentice he is more confident now than he was before the series started of actually winning the final.
“You think they’ll measure-up, especially the way he and Chicago Bull had been going and the times they were running, but you’ve never truly sure until you race the best,” he said.
“That’s why that first heat when we took on Lazarus was so important. I was probably more relieved than excited to win it.
“Just the way he did it so easily, enen though he had the draw and got to the front. It showed everyone he was as good as we think he is.”
Soho Tribeca then posted a cosy second-round heat win at Bunbury before a second to emerging Victorian star San Carlo after he had to sit parked last Friday night.
“He’s come through the heats really well and I wasn’t at all disappointed he got beaten the other night,” Prentice said.
“I never doubted he’d cope with the three runs in a week to qualify and that’s how it’s turned out. He’s been great since and his work was outstanding earlier this week.”
Prentice concedes the draw has set him a challenge.
“You see barrier four and think ‘you beauty’, but then you see Tiger Tara in one, Lazarus in two and Chicago Bull in 10 (inside back row) and four starts to look a lot worse,” he said.
“But I’ve got a horse at his top and he’s very versatile. Sure I’d love to have drawn to lead like Tiger Tara has, but if it’s a hotly contested race, which these races usually are, then everyone should get their chance.
“My fella is tough, but he’s got good point-to-point speed as well.”
So who is the horse to beat?
“Lazarus, obviously,” Prentice said. “But it won’t be easy for him if he’s got to do most of the work. He’s a great horse, no doubt about it, but this track is a real leveller if you’re off the marker pegs the whole way.
“Chicago Bull looks dangerous from his draw. Sure he’s going to need luck, but it looks like he’s going to get the easy run in behind Tiger Tara.”
Beyond the final, Prentice is set to chase all the big races this season.
“Yes, we’ll be going to races like the Hunter Cup and Miracle Mile,” he said. “I still think he’s on the improve and he’s going to get better and better for competing in these big races.”
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