Stunning colt El Divino has been primed for a bold first showing in the Group 2 $175,000 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill on August 27 with two solid barrier trial hit outs.
El Divino, above, white colours, is primed for a bold first up showing in The Run To The Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
El Divino is undefeated from two race starts for Gai Waterhouse and after scoring a four and three quarter lengths win in a 1000m Gosford Two Year Old Maiden on March 17 went on to dead heat with Astern in the Group 3 $200,000 Widden Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on April 2.
Waterhouse has started the new racing season by forming a training partnership with Adrian Bott and the Tulloch Lodge co-trainers are planning on El Divino being one of the main playmakers in the Group 1 $1m Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 10.
El Divino is a half-brother to Chris Waller’s glamour mare Winx and is certain to attract plenty of attention when he arrives at Rosehill race course for The Run To The Rose.
The Snitzel colt has trialled twice over 850m at Randwick recently for a second on July 29 and a third on a heavy track on August 9.
Bott has been delighted with the way El Divino has performed so far in his preparation and said that he is ready to go to the races.
“We were delighted with El Divino at only his second trial,” Bott said after the colt’s August 9 trial.
“It was a nice hit out and it was exactly what we needed to see from him.”
“Hugh (Bowman) said that he was not entirely comfortable in the going early. He helped him get through it and allowed him to balance up and get his footing. Once he did balance up in the straight, he gave him a nice little slap down the shoulder and he could not have been happier with the way the colt responded and he picked up well and really attacked the line.”
“That will have him cherry ripe going forward for his first up run in The Run To The Rose and looking forward to that start.”
El Divino is currently listed on the third line of betting at $11 for the Golden Rose Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au alongside of the John O’Shea trained Telperion.
Group 1 Inglis Sires’ winner Yankee Rose shares the top spot in the market order at $7 with O’Shea’s other well bred colt Impending ahead of the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Mediterranean and San Domenico Stakes winner Star Turn at $9.
Golden Rose Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $7 Impending, Yankee Rose, $9 Star Turn, Mediterranean, $11 El Divino, Telperion, $13 Good Standing, $15 Derryn, Omei Sword, Tango Rain, $17 Russian Revolution, Prized Icon.
