Heavenly start for Highview’s new recruit

[Wandering Eyes]

The 2023-24 season is off to a perfect start for new Highview stallion Divine Prophet, whose daughter See You In Heaven scored a dominant win in Saturday’s Gr.3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) in Adelaide.

The high-class four-year-old was sent out as a $2.15 favourite for the Morphettville feature and lived right up to those high expectations, overcoming a three-wide run to win with plenty in hand.

“Considering she is still underdone, it’s exciting to see where she goes next,” co-trainer Chantelle Jolly said on Saturday. “She has come back bigger and stronger.

“She will head to the Leon Macdonald Stakes (Listed, 1400m) here in a fortnight, and then we will take her to Melbourne, where the end game is the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m).”

See You In Heaven’s 12-start career has so far produced five wins, five placings and more than A$630,000 in stakes. She has previously made her mark at black-type level in both South Australia and Victoria, boasting victories in the Gr.2 Sandown Guineas (1600m), Gr.3 Ottawa Stakes (1000m), Gr.3 Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Listed Dequetteville Stakes (1050m).

See You In Heaven is the best of two stakes winners for Divine Prophet, who is also the sire of Gr.2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) winner Promitto. With his oldest progeny now five-year-olds, Divine Prophet has sired a total of 81 winners from 162 runners to date.

See You In Heaven winning the Gr.3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville
Photo: Atkins Photography

Divine Prophet is a full-brother to New Zealand’s reigning champion sire Proisir, and he was himself the winner of three races including the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

Secured by Brent Gillovic in a deal with Aquis Farm that also brought Group One winner Ulanova’s sire Santos to this side of the Tasman, Divine Prophet will stand at Highview for a $13,500 service fee this spring.

“Richard Jolly is a good pal of mine, and he’s always said that she’s well above average – a really good filly,” Gillovic said. “She sat three wide for the trip and won easily, beating a Goodwood winner (Savatoxl). You can’t take anything away from the win, and it’s a great boost for the stallion.

“He’s a full-brother to Proisir, as we know, and I think he was a better racehorse and a better type, so it’s only a matter of time before he makes his mark.”

Gillovic’s confidence in Divine Prophet has yet to be met with a flurry of bookings for the stallion, but he is hoping for a surge in interest following this weekend’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Waikato Stallion Parade. The popular two-day event will stop off at Highview at 9.45 on Sunday morning.

“Of the two new stallions, Santos has probably been the one that’s been on fire, and that’s surprised me,” Gillovic said. “Some weeks have brought bookings for Divine Prophet, while other weeks have been quiet.

“He’s a Caulfield Guineas winner who’s left stakes winners in Australia, and this mare’s going to be hard to beat in a Group One race in Melbourne later in the spring.

“He’s a magnificent horse. We’ve all fallen in love with him. He’s not only a great type, he’s also a good doer and such a kind, quiet horse. I’ll give up if he doesn’t do the job in New Zealand.

“The stallions will be on show on Sunday morning, and I look forward to people coming out and seeing Divine Prophet in the flesh. He’s a beautiful horse – he really is.

“You’d like to see him get 80 to 100 mares. He’s still got a little way to go to get there, but we’ll be sending 15 to 20 mares to him ourselves, that’s for sure. Having a stallion like him is a huge opportunity.”

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