Connections of the Sepoy filly Divine Quality had to suffer through five consecutive seconds from November last year to June this year, which may be the reason for the exuberant celebration when the Robbie Griffiths-trained mare exploded from the pack to run away with the Group III Furphy Sprint (1100m) (Begonia Belle Stakes) at Flemington on Saturday.
Ridden by Beau Mertens, Divine Quality powered down the centre of the track to defeat Booker by three and a quarter lengths with I Am Excited a long-neck away third. (photos Grant Courtney )
Having her first run back since July 14, Divine Quality advances her record to 4 wins, 6 seconds and 1 third from 14 starts with earnings of $366,050.
"Even though she's a five-year-old she still doesn't look fully mature yet and that's why we've raced her very sparingly," Griffiths told AAP.
"Everything she's done has been late in the season and that's why she was late starting the carnival.
"We picked out this race and thought it would be a good starting point for her.
"We seem to end up in the other seasons, not the traditional spring and autumn because of her growth and development, but she smashed them today and she put away a pretty high-class field."
A $185,000 purchase by Princeton Stud/Robbie Griffiths Racing out of the Woodside Stud draft at the 2015 Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Divine Quality is the second foal of the Fastnet Rock mare Nun Faster who was purchased by Princeton Thoroughbred Stud for $180,000 when in foal to Vancouver.
Unfortunately, the Vancouver foal died at birth.
A half-sister to Listed winner Vatican, Nun Faster is out of the Peintre Celebre mare Our Sistine who is a half-sister to the 2003-04 NZ Horse Of The Year King's Chapel a triple Group 1 winner.
Nun Faster produced a Written Tycoon filly on October 14.
Divine Quality becomes the 11th stakes-winner for Darley Stud's champion Sepoy.
