Divine Prophet flashed top-level promise in a three-race juvenile campaign last season, breaking his maiden at second asking before finishing third in the G1 Champagne S., and he came of age on Saturday when posting a mild upset in the G1 Caulfield Guineas over that same mile trip. Kicking off his 3-year-old season with a win in the 1300-metre G3 Up And Coming S. Aug. 20, the bay was beaten 2 3/4 lengths when fourth in the G1 Golden Rose S. Sept. 10 and a quarter-length when second in the G2 Stan Fox S. two weeks later. Boxed in on the rail about six lengths off the lead through the early stages of the Guineas, Divine Prophet was given a masterful Dwayne Dunn ride when sticking to the inside swinging into the straight and saving valuable ground. Splitting rivals at the 200-metre mark, Divine Prophet hit the lead inside the final 100 metres under a drive and found the line just in time from a fast-finishing Seaburge. The colt provided a third win in the Classic for co-trainer John Hawkes, who saddled Lonhro (Aus) to victory in 2001 and All Too Hard (Aus) in 2012, the latter also in partnership with his sons Michael and Wayne. Wayne Hawkes was non-committal on a Cox Plate matchup with Winx, telling Racing.com Divine Prophet had been primed for the Guineas.
“Winx is Winx and Divine Prophet is Divine Prophet so she's going to the Cox Plate and we just won the Caulfield Guineas and to be fair this was our grand final,” Hawkes said. “The Caulfield Guineas is the race for stallions and now he's done it which was a great effort. He's a bulldog, this horse–Michael has always been telling me since day dot that he's a great horse and that's what he is. Dwayne does the hard yards all the time and he deserved this win.”
Pedigree Notes…
Divine Prophet is the second Caulfield Guineas winner for Choisir, who finished third in the race himself and also sired winner Starspangledbanner (Aus). The sixth produce of his dam, Divine Prophet is a full-brother to the G3 Spring S. winner Proisir, who was also second in the G1 Randwick Guineas and G1 Spring Champion S. Prophet Jewel has a yearling filly by Exceed and Excel (Aus) and a filly foal from the first crop of Horse of the Year Dissident (Aus).
Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
CAULFIELD GUINEAS-G1, A$1,008,500, MRC, 10-08, 3yo, Open Set Weight, 1600mT, 1:36.51, Good.
1–&DIVINE PROPHET, 56.5, c, 3, by Choisir
1st Dam: Prophet Jewel, by Encosta de Lago
2nd Dam: Factor (NZ), by Centaine
3rd Dam: Imperial Bride (NZ), by Imperial March (CAN)
O-A, M, S & V Falcone; B-Mr T Falcone NSW; T-M, W & J
Hawkes; J-D Dunn; A$608,500. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-1,
A$859,525. *Full to Proisir (Aus), GSW & MG1SP-Aus,
$475,230. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Seaburge, 56.5, c, 3, Sebring–Polska, by Encosta de Lago.
(A$220,000 Ylg 2015 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale) O-D A
Hayes, C B & Mrs J M McKenna, Collins St Partners Syndicate
(Mgr: B N Griffith & T J Storey), N S & Mrs G C Psaltis, Mrs A L K
Andrews – Burgio, P J Coish, T F Gurry, Miss J K ; B-Mr D
Henderson QLD; T-D & B Hayes & T Dabernig; J-M Zahra;
A$180,000.
3–Hey Doc, 56.5, g, 3, Duporth–Heyington Honey, by General
Nediym. (A$85,000 Ylg 2015 WI Melbourne Premier Yearling
Sale) O-Mrs A F Ramsay, A C Hall, Mrs P M George, M J
Davidson, Ms D M Mahony, G S Tucker, J W & Mrs J F Higgins,
M F & Mrs A J James, B S Evans, Ms J Tynan, Mrs J Harvey, D P
Smith, Mrs R; B-Mr A Hall VIC; T-Tony McEvoy; J-L Currie;
A$90,000.
Margins: 0.2 len, 0.7 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 6.00, 30.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Impending, So Si Bon, Saracino (NZ), Good Standing, Sacred Elixir (NZ), Land of Plenty, Barbie's Boy, Wazzenme, Kaching, Evacuation, Revolving Door.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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