After finishing at the tail in the G3 Winx Guineas at three, Divine Prophet’s Soothsayer was off the scene for some time, resuming in April this year and on Saturday produced an outstanding effort to win the $200,000 Listed BRC Eyeliner Stakes with a barnstorming finish.
A last start winner over 1200m at Eagle Farm, the Michael Freedmand trained gelding started well in the market despite drawing barrier 14, with the Rex Lipp trained Ciffrado jumping away the favourite off the back of his last start second in the G3 BRC Sprint.
When the gates opened, the Tony Gollan trained Rockribbed and Pat Webster's Restonica went forward from wide gates to settle in one-two with eventual winner Soothsayer with just two behind him in the run.
With many of the fancied runners back in the pack, apprentice Jace McMurray led into the home turn aboard Rockribbed before Restonica took over, which was short lived as the runs were coming from the back of the field.
Working down the outside at a rate of knots, it was clear the race was going to be between the Peter Snowden trained La Roja and the Daniel Moor ridden Soothsayer who had come from close to the tail.
When the line was reached, Soothsayer had taken the prize by a quarter of a length with I Am Invincible mare La Roja securing her first black type by finishing second.
Pat Webster’s Rothesay gelding Esjay finished narrowly back in third after hitting the lead just before the post where he was subsequently swamped late.
Having previously record two G3 placed efforts, it was the first stakes victory for the 6yo Diving Prophet gelding who took his overall record to seven wins and four placed efforts from 19 starts with earnings of $583,875.
Purchased for just $20,000 from Alexia Fraser Bloodstock’s draft at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale by Dream Thoroughbreds and Lee Freedman Racing, it was a great result for connections who had narrowly lost out in the previous race, with Soothsayer’s half-brother Encoder finishing second in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2000m).
Speaking on behalf of trainer Michael Freedman, brother Lee felt a change in tactics saw the best of Soothsayer.
“I changed how we were going to ride the horse today, because I knew John McArdle's horse would go hard,” said Freedman.
“I was worried about this horse trying to make up ground on this track, so I said to Daniel who knows me very well, to just ride a quiet race.
“I didn't want him to go too wide but when he pulled wide the only thing in my mind was that the horse must be going well for him, because he wanted to get out and get going.
“I'm a bit flabbergasted to be honest, because he's gone from a Benchmark 85 to a Listed. He may have come back this prep better than ever, especially as the ground was a bit of a worry.
“I think I want to try to qualify him for the Big Dance through the Grafton Cup, but that might go out of the window because he'll probably have too much weight.
“I always thought he'd be a good horse for a race like the Epsom, so that may be the race you see him in."
Riding him for just the first time on race day, jockey Daniel Moor was glad the race panned out the way it did as his pre-race instructions went out the window.
“Lee and I go back a long way, I've copped a few sprays from him and at the 600m mark I thought I might be copping another one from him” said Moor.
“All our plans went out the window because of the pace and the shape of the race. So I just focused on getting him nice and relaxed, which he did.
“He's flying this horse, and what an achievement by the team to get him back in such good order.
“It's a great team effort and I'm delighted to be on him. Michael and Lee have got a few tricks up their sleeve.
“It was actually quite a soft win on the line. He got to them and went past them pretty easily, so it was pretty soft.”
Bred by Heinrich Bloodstock Syndicate, Soothsayer is the second winner and stakes winner from three to the races for the Sebring mare Eight Below
From a family that traces back to G1 VRC Oaks-AJC Oaks-QLD Oaks winner November Rain and her G2 South African Oaks-winning daughter Stormy Hill, Eight Below has dropped from the official Australian Stud Book record with her final named foal being the 3yo Gillian Heinrich and Ben Rodgers-trained Whittington filly Arctic Whisper who has not started since her debut fourth back in February.
Soothsayer’s victory saw the gelding become the fifth stakes winner for Highview Stud’s G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet who will stand at $5,500 (inc GST) in the spring.
