Chance for Soroc to go out in style
The versatile Soroc will close out an already successful campaign when he runs at Matamata on Wednesday.
The lightly-raced five-year-old has two wins and two placings from his last five starts and looks a solid chance again in the Colchester Engineering Handicap (1200m).
“I’m hoping he can go out on a nice note and I feel he is up to going to the Hawke’s Bay carnival next season,” trainer Lee Somervell said.
“He’s already been down there and ran a good third. The great thing about him is that he won a $50,000 1400m race at Ellerslie on a Good 3 track about six weeks ago and ran 1.23 and a bit and over the same distance at Rotorua last time he won in 1.33 on a heavy track.
“That gives us options, we don’t need to be worrying about tracks. All he’s needed is a bit of time.”
Soroc will again be ridden on Thursday by Maija Vance.
“He should be a pretty good chance despite the weight (60kg),” Somervell said.
“He’s not an apprentice’s horse and Maija gets on well with him.” The stable has a strong hand in the race with Impulsive Habit, the mount of Kate Cowan, also engaged. He was a last-start fourth at Rotorua behind Soroc.
“He was a bit unlucky. He got a check 200m after the start and he was always on the back foot after that,” Somervell said. “He could be a real threat – he’s a wet weather horse.”