Divinia Bellezza is a Strong Stayer

21 January 2021 | Ken Casellas
Logo

New Zealand-bred mare Divinia Bellezza has won only seven times from 61 starts, but she looms as a great value bet when she contests the 2536m Subscribe to The West Online Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

She is a splendid stayer who has won over 2500m and 2600m in New Zealand and her four runs over 2536m at Gloucester Park have resulted in two wins, a third placing and an eye-catching eighth.

Her eighth was at her most recent outing, behind Extradite over 2536m on Tuesday of last week. She was ninth at the bell before charging home, out six wide. It was a most impressive performance. She dashed over the final 800m in 55.8sec. and the last 400m in 27.7sec.

Divinia Bellezza, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, will start from the No. 7 barrier and Ryan Warwick is likely to make full use of the mare’s powerful finishing burst. Her chief rivals are expected to be the Michael Brennan-trained Sweet Maddison and Ross Olivieri’s Run For Mercy, a last-start all-the-way winner who will start from the No. 6 barrier.

The Bond stable also appears to have a stranglehold on the $25,000 Ray Duffy Memorial over 2536m in which they will be represented by the two youngest and least experienced runners, New Zealand-bred four-year-olds Patronus Star and Howard Hughes.

Ryan Warwick will drive Patronus Star, winner of the WA Derby last April, from the prized No. 1 barrier, while Howard Hughes (who finished fast along the sprint lane to beat Patronus Star at Pinjarra two starts ago) will be handled by Deni Roberts from barrier five.

Patronus Star is a good frontrunner who looks the likely leader who will make life tough for his opponents. He was unlucky in the $50,000 Four-Year-Old Championship last Friday night when he began smartly before a tyre of his sulky deflated, forcing Warwick to ease him out of the event only 300m after the start.

Howard Hughes started from the inside of the back line in that event and raced three back on the pegs but was badly hampered for room in the final circuit and finished ninth behind Magnificent Storm.

 

Related News

28 March 2024
New HRV chair Adam Kilgour on challenges, opportunities
Newly appointed Harness Racing Victoria chair Adam Kilgour says his passion for a challenge and the people in racing drives his desire to strengthen the industry. Kilgour was yesterday announced to replace Dale Monteith as the head of the board, on which he has served since 2018, and said he was eager...
28 March 2024
La sun of a gun emerges as Blackbook zeros in on breeding line
La Machane won 20 of her 61 starts and more than $330,000 for connections in Ross and Greg Sugars' care and the mare's making just as big an impression in the breeding barn. Having given us La Puddie ($137,179) and La Captain ($182,020), the Bettors Delight mare has another nice type in Benbullan, who...
28 March 2024
Jack ready to show off the next generation of stars at Bathurst
Nathan Jack has his next generation of stars ready to lead a northern assault on Bathurst's two-year-old Group 1s Saturday night, eager to emulate the stable's 2023 success.
28 March 2024
Steve Cleave's Little Black Book $200 game plans for Melton
Steve Cleave has looked through his Little Black Book to produce a $200 game plan for Easter Saturday night at Melton Entertainment Park.
28 March 2024
Jase and Snooze join Ryan for Burning Questions
Chris Svanosio and Jason Lee join Ryan Phelan to look ahead to a fantastic night of Easter Saturday racing from Melton Entertainment Park.
Click for more