Australian sprinter-miler Divine Prophet heads to Tara Stud

Tara Stud is forming an exciting new partnership with Aquis Farm in Australia, which will see leading sprinter-miler and freshman sire Divine Prophet shuttle to Ireland for the 2018 northern hemisphere season. The son of Choisir will stand at a fee of €7,500.

Trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, Divine Prophet was a precocious two-year-old, breaking his maiden on his second start at Kembla Grange. He followed that up with a close third in the mile Champagne Stakes at Rosehill.

As a three-year-old, Divine Prophet really excelled, claiming victory in a hotly contested renewal of the Group 3 Up and Coming Stakes at Randwick, but the defining moment of his race career came when landing the Caulfield Guineas, a race previously won by Redoute's Choice, Lonhro and Vain.

Divine Prophet is by Choisir - sire of Group 1 scorers Olympic Glory, Starspanglebanner and The Last Lion and broodmare sire of Winter, My Dream Boat and Persuasive - and out of the Encosta De Lago mare Prophet Jewel, a six-time winning sprinter.

Divine Prophet is a brother to the Group 1-placed and Group 3 winner Proisir, who is currently standing his third season at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand. Prophet Jewel's yearling filly by Exceed And Excel sold for $1.2 million at this year's Inglis Easter Sale.

"The horse is stunningly good looking, with an exceptional walk and perfect conformation," said Derek Iceton, principal of Tara Stud.

"Being a Group 1-winning sprinter-miler by Choisir, he's just the type of stallion the market wants. It's easy to see why the foremost commercial breeders in Australia are raving about him.

"I'm doubly delighted to have been chosen to stand him by Aquis Farm, who have rapidly become a real force in Australian breeding and racing."

Resemblance

"We are delighted to be partnering with Tara Stud to provide European breeders access to the best looking Australian first-season sire of 2017," said Shane McGrath, chief executive of Aquis Farm.

"He shows strikingly similar looks to his damsire, Encosta De Lago, and is by Choisir, the well-known Australian speed sire who went to Europe and won the King's Stand Stakes and Golden Jubilee Stakes.

"Apart from his obvious good looks, he has a pedigree that oozes class and a race record to match, having won early as a two-year-old and then returned as a three-year-old to win the Up and Coming Stakes and the Caulfield Guineas in the spring.

"He has been extremely well received with Australian breeders who recognise the value of Group 1 performers at two who train on to win a Classic at three. His Caulfield Guineas win was exceptional and franked his win in the Up And Coming stakes, which has been won by the likes of Exceed And Excel and Snitzel.

"He has a physique and quality which appeals and is by a genuine speed sire out of a daughter of a multiple champion broodmare sire. His action will be fully appreciated by European breeders, as it has been here

"We have been delighted with the start of his stud career in Australia. I'd urge all breeders to save a mare or two for him and to get down to see him in the flesh when he arrives, because one look at Divine Prophet is all it takes."

Divine Prophet will join Alhebayeb and Estidhkaar on the Tara Stud roster.

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