God Has Spoken On Path To The Mornington Cup

Perth-based God Has Spoken will return to racing in Melbourne for the first time in almost two years when he contests the Listed Mornington Cup Prelude (2000m) at Caulfield this Saturday.

God Has Spoken will take on Laidback Larry and a number of other talented stayers in the Mornington Cup Prelude at Caulfield this weekend.

God Has Spoken will take on Laidback Larry and a number of other talented stayers in the Mornington Cup Prelude at Caulfield this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart

God Has Spoken raced inconsistently during the 2013 Perth Summer Racing Carnival, but returned to his best form when he stormed home late to finish second behind Black Tycoon in the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on New Year’s Day.

Trainer Neville Parnham told Racing Ahead this morning that the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) on February 12 is the major autumn goal for God Has Spoken, but he expects the Blackfriars entire to perform well this weekend.

“He hasn’t started since the Perth Cup, he was narrowly beaten in that, and it was a bit of a return to form for him,” Parnham said.

“He had been racing quiet well in the Railway and the couple of races that led it to that, but he just sort of dropped off a fraction at his next couple of runs.

“He bounced back and that was the forerunner for me to give him a go over here in the Mornington Cup.

“That is his plan; it is just a matter of getting him through Saturday’s run.

“He is going in off a few weeks break and he will probably benefit from the run on Saturday, but he should run a cheeky race.”

God Has Spoken was ridden close to the pace when he failed to fire in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) and Group 2 Cox Stakes (2100m), but was settled at the tail of the field in the Perth Cup.

Parnham said that God Has Spoken has always shown the ability to win from the back of the field, but is hopeful that son Steven Parnham will settle the seven-year-old a bit closer to the speed in the Mornington Cup Prelude on Saturday.

“That was how he was always ridden as a younger horse, he didn’t have a lot of speed, and he got back off the pace and used to storm home,” Parnham said.

“That was his normal pattern off racing, but over the last couple of years he has shown more pace in the distance races and he has been able to posy up in a more forward position.

“It suited him, but we draw an awkward gate the other day and we decided that he should be ridden a bit quiet.

“Saturday he should posy up in the first six or seven and he should box away from there.”

God Has Spoken is yet to finish in the placings in six previous starts in Victoria; with his fourth place finish behind Ginga Dude in the First Light Racing Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley during the 2011 Spring Racing Carnival.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.