Trainer Jason McLachlan admits that he has been surprised by the form of Divine Service but still rates the classy colt a winning chance in what he believes is a very open 2014 Magic Millions Classic.
Divine Service is currently rated an outsider in 2014 Magic Millions Classic betting markets. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Divine Service won at the monster odds of $50 in the Channel Seven Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm on debut and was far from disgraced when finishing third behind Celestial Dragon and Burleigh Bullet in the Racing Retro Handicap (1110m) at Doomben on December 21.
McLachlan told Racing Ahead this morning that the son of Haradasun did not have much luck at his last start and is confident that he can perform well in the Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“He is a nice little horse but he is going to be a better horse after a break,” McLachlan said.
“He has shocked us with what he has done so far.
“We didn’t expect him to come early but he won his first start and just jarred up a little bit the other day, when he ran third and a few things didn’t suit.
“It was a mild leader’s track and he had blinkers first time so he actually got a bit lost.
“It is a very even Magic Millions Classic and I think he will run well.”
Divine Service will jump from barrier four in the Magic Millions Classic this weekend, with Eddie Wilkinson on board, and McLachlan believes that the two-year-old will get a lovely run into the race; with the Sunshine Coast-based trainer confident that his galloper will be hitting the line hard in the final stages of the 1200 metre event.
“He will take a sit and he will be in the first six or right,” McLachlan said.
“He will get good cover and he will be very strong in the last bit because I think that he is going to be a miler potentially down the track.”
McLachlan knows what it takes to train the winner of the Magic Millions Classic after taking out the 2009 edition of the race with Phelan Ready, but said that it was difficult to compare the quality of the two juveniles.
“I hope he wins more races in the three years after the Magic Millions than Phelan Ready,” McLachlan joked.
“It is hard to line the two horses up.”
Phelan Ready will have the opportunity to record his first race win since his famous triumph in the 2009 Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m), when he contests the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) this weekend.
