Gosford, Inverell previews: Adam Duggan hoping for a Divine result in the wet

Courier-Mail

28-05-2025

Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Trainer Adam Duggan had a nice opinion of Divine Bene in his early trackwork and trials but a couple of unflattering runs to start his career put that into question.
It wasn't until Divine Bene got onto a wet track that he started to perform to a higher level and placed in three consecutive runs as he built into his first campaign.
'He is a horse I had a bit of time for early days but didn't show a lot in his first couple of runs,' said Duggan.
'Once we got him going with a couple of runs under his belt, we worked out he didn't have much of a turn of foot but he could sustain the same speed throughout.
'We also found he had a real liking for wet track. I don't think I've had a horse who has had so many runs on a wet track.'
Divine Bene has raced on wet ground in eight of the 10 career starts with seven of them on heavy where he has a win and four minor placings.
He returned this campaign with a nice win first-up over 1550m on the Beaumont before a third to Lutetia at Newcastle both on Heavy 8 tracks before a second to Sirius Flyer in a Soft 5 at Quirindi last start.
'It probably wasn't wet enough for him at Quirindi the other day,' he said.
The four-year-old gets his preferred conditions when steps out in the Class 1 Handicap (1200m).
'I'm happy to have Ash Morgan back on. He rode him really well to win first-up,' Duggan said.
'He's also in at Inverell. I'll discuss it with his owners but Gosford is my preferred option.'
Duggan also has Purple Haze entered for the Super Maiden Handicap (1200m) on his home track.
The gelding battled away for third to Yes Siree on a Heavy 10 at Wyong on debut on May 1.
'He has been a real work in progress,' said Duggan.
'He was aided by a fair few scratchings in a fairly soft race on debut if I'm being honest but in saying that, I would be surprised if he doesn't improve.
'I think the 1200m will suit him better and eventually a bit further than that.'
Warwick Farm trainer Clarry Conners has been pleased with the way Okami Star has raced this campaign and gives him a change of securing another win in the Class 1 Handicap (1600m).
The gelding resumed with a second to Pelosa at Hawkesbury followed by a fifth at Kembla before breaking through with a narrow win from Murphilly at Wyong.
Last start, he boxed on a long neck fourth to Ocean One at Hawkesbury.
'He has come back a nice horse this time in,' said Conners.
'At Hawkesbury last start, he went around and got to the front then just eased up on him.
'He's a big striding horse and it would have been better if he kept going on him.
'I'm happy with the horse though.'
Conners also feels Proclivity can bounce back from a luckless run last start when he contests the 2&3YO Maiden Handicap (1600m).
After a debut second to Caltsar at Newcastle, the gelding finished sixth to Monte Veebee at Kembla.
'It was a good run at Newcastle on debut then at Kembla everything went wrong. He got knocked down and pushed back,' he said.
'Aaron Bullock rode him in his first start and was impressed with the horse.
'I'm very happy to be able to get him again this week.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
A slow start and untimely bump put paid to the chances of Angels Cloud last start but trainer Marc Quinn couldn't be happier with his mare and expects her to break through for a well-earned win when she heads to Inverell.
Angels Cloud started a $1.90 favourite at Glen Innes earlier this month following three handy placings since joining Quinn's stable.
Unfortunately, she was put out of business in the first couple of strides when she settled further back than expected on her way to finishing second behind Immortal Lass.
'I really thought she would have won at Glen Innes the other day but she took a backwards step when the gates opened and Cody's (Morgan) horse got a march on us and that was the end of the race for her,' said Quinn.
'She has had a good couple of weeks since then.
'Obviously last week was a bit of a washout for us. We missed trackwork for a couple of days but they are not going to lose much fitness going on the walker for a couple of days.
'Despite the weather, the horses coped with it really well and she had a lovely gallop on Saturday.'
Angels Cloud has drawn ideally on barrier 4 in the Country Boosted Maiden Plate (1100m) with Matthew McGuren to again partner her.
'She has drawn well and Matthew decided to stick with her which is good,' he said.
'All she needs to do is step away and I think she will be hard to beat.
Quinn is weighing up his options for Perhaps Perhaps in the Class 1 and Maiden Plate (1800m) but expects her to run a much improved race if she does start.
The four-year-old debuted for Quinn with a handy fifth to Justifiably at Port Macquarie on April 19 before backing up on a heavy track there eight days later when down the order behind Imarealamerican over 1500m.
She then finished a somewhat unlucky fifth to Visualise over 1400m at Glen Innes.
'Her first run for us was really good and we thought we would try and rider her handier second-up but I don't think she appreciated that and the quick back-up,' he said.
'We didn't want to come back in distance but there wasn't a lot of options for her after so we took her to Glen Innes.
'I thought the run was passable and the step up to 1800m suits her quite well.'