Divine Quality is the odds on favourite in the Light Fingers Hall of Fame Trophy
As convincing as Divine Quality has been winning her first two starts, trainer Robbie Griffiths still considers her next assignment a tough test for the up-and-coming filly.
Divine Quality has emerged as a late-season find in the Victorian three-year-old ranks having stepped out to win a Bendigo maiden on debut last month before heading to town where she claimed a benchmark fillies race down the straight at Flemington two weeks ago by 3-1/4 lengths.
She is the odds-on favourite with Luxbet for Saturday’s Light Fingers Hall of Fame Trophy (1200m) at Flemington which has a field that includes seven last-start winners.
While it is the same benchmark-78 grade as last time, Griffiths believes it looms as a tougher test.
“She won very well and I’m not taking anything off her,” Griffiths said.
“She ran brilliant sectionals, coming from back in the field and running better than her opponents the last 800, 600, 400 and 200 metres.
“But she was a little bit fortunate that she got into pretty much a benchmark-68 for fillies at Flemington last time.
“So it was a really gentle transition.
“It gave her a chance to go from a maiden to pretty much a restricted race at Flemington on a Saturday where as this race looks a lot stronger. You’ve got some more seasoned fillies.
“So in my mind this is a much tougher race than what she’s been in, so she has to come up again to win a race like this.
“But she’s a really lovely filly. She galloped well on Tuesday morning so I’d like to think we’re in the thick of things.”
Griffiths has given Divine Quality time and believes she still isn’t near full maturity.
He says what the filly has shown so far is exciting for the future.
“It’s always exciting when you can get any young horse who can go to the races and do what they do at home,” he said.
“She did that at Bendigo and then to go to Flemington and come from back in the field and round them up and win by the margin she won by, gives you a lot of encouragement and a lot of excitement to think maybe we’ve got something that’s a bit special.
“We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves, but we could not be happier with what we’ve seen thus far.
“Let’s hope it continues on Saturday.”
