Divine Prophet attempts to add the Australian Guineas to his Caulfield Guineas success
A feat achieved only by Mahogany is in Divine Prophet’s sights as he attempts to add the Australian Guineas to his Caulfield Guineas success.
Mahogany, in the 1993-94 season, is the only horse to win the Caulfield Guineas–Australian Guineas Group One double during a season in which the former star also won the Victoria and AJC Derbys.
Miss Finland won the fillies equivalent of the Caulfield Guineas, the Thousand Guineas, as a spring three-year-old before adding an Australian Guineas in the autumn.
Divine Prophet was unplaced in his return to racing in the weight-for-age C F Orr Stakes (1400m).
The colt has since had a jump-out last Friday at Flemington in preparation for Saturday’s 1600m feature at the same track.
He rounded the field from last to win his heat in a solid hit-out which impressed jockey Dwayne Dunn.
“He’s a pretty expensive commodity so he needs to go to the races and perform at his best,” Dunn said.
“I think the trial was just to reassure us that he’s definitely on track. We were a little bit bewildered why we didn’t see a little bit better run first-up, but the trial was super and hopefully he can get back to his winning ways.”
Divine Prophet has won three of his eight starts and is at $9 with Unibet.com.au behind Hey Doc ($3.40) who earned favouritism with his last-start C S Hayes Stakes win.
Divine Prophet has a middle draw in the capacity field and Dunn is hoping the race pans out well for the colt, saying he has shown versatility but seems to race better when ridden a bit quietly and produced down the middle of the track in clean air.
Hey Doc’s jockey Luke Currie believes the gelding is more mature than when a close third to Divine Prophet and Seaburge in the Caulfield Guineas and is drawn to get a better run this time than when he drew wide in that race.
“I suppose the horse to beat for me would be Divine Prophet who beat him in the Caulfield Guineas, and maybe Seaburge,” Currie said.
“But both of those horses only produced fair runs coming in, where as he is the horse on the up.
“He drew wide in the Caulfield Guineas and they just were a bit strong for him late in that race, but it will be a different story this time. And I think he’s matured from last preparation.”
