Geisel Park graduate Divine Hero started the second stage of his career with a resounding victory at Kranji on Friday.

Divine Hero (4g Flying Pegasus – Star Tudor by Statoblest) scored by a half-length in a Class 4 Stakes (1400m) and jockey Steven King is confident he will keep on winning.  “I thought we hit the front a bit too early in the straight,” King said.  “But he did a good job to get there.”

The former Perth based gelding was sold off-shore by clients of Neville Parnham after an Ascot victory in April 2012.  He had originally changed hands when Geisel Park owner Eddie Rigg sold him for $52,000 at the 2010 Perth Magic Millions.

Divine Hero is now trained by Cliff Brown for a partnership headed by David Dawson of Arexevan Stables  “We couldn’t get him at first,” Dawson recalled on Friday.  “But then Cliff was able to purchase him just before his first win at Ascot.”

FuPeg sire Flying Pegasus got him from Perth mare Star Tudor who won 8 scampers over 1000 metres for Parnham and Perth QC Ron Davies.  “He’s was a cracker of a yearling,” Rigg recalled.  “Definitely one of the picks of our draft in 2010.”

Rigg was elected to the WATC committee in October and he was in the news again the following month when Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom) and Bippo No Bungus (Dubawi) ran a Geisel Park quinella in the G3 Champion Fillies Stakes at Ascot.

Geisel Park is situated in the south-west at Myalup and there are 23 yearlings in its draft for the 2013 Perth Magic Millions comprising a mix of Hunter Valley stallions like Darley leader Exceed And Excel and up-and-comers such as Sebring, I Am Invincible and Myboycharlie.

The Sunspeed component is headed by champion sires Blackfriars and Oratorio (Aus).  Rigg has close ties with Yarradale Stud owner Ron Sayers and there are yearlings by its sires Musket (3), War Chant and Discorsi.

– Karl Patterson

DIVINE HERO
Geisel Park graduate wins in Singapore