God Has Spoken Roars Home to Win Sires'
- Saturday, 11 April 2009 00:00
God Has Spoken, described as a "top three-year-old in the making," gave his connections an early big race success to his career when he rattled home to win the 99th running of the Group Three $202,000 WA Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Aided by a sensational ground saving ride from Perth's perennial champion hoop Paul Harvey, God Has Spoken rattled home to beat fellow Magic Millions graduate Wolfe Dreams in a great performance.
One of three runners in the big race for the state's busiest trainer Neville Parnham, God Has Spoken successfully backed up after scoring an emphatic win at the track seven days ago.
Specked late in betting to start as a $9.50 chance with bookmakers, God Has Spoken flew late, grabbing Wolfe Dreams ($4.40 fav) in the shadows of the post and then streaking away to win by a length.
A similar margin back in third place was the winner's stablemate Bridgestone ($14).
Of the other fancied runners Don'trocktheboat was tenth, Tribulus eleventh and Karrakatta Plate winner Gold Rocks twelfth.
For the premiership leading Parnham the win of God Has Spoken provided him with back to back victories in the Sires'. He won last year with Brava Fortune, who ran a gallant fifth in the WA Derby just over half an hour later.
"He has hit the line strongly at all his starts despite being run off his feet," Parnham said after the win. "It was a matter of just getting him here (to the Sires'), this was his main goal."
"He was aided by a great ride from Paul."
"The plan was to let him find his feet and then ride for luck. I thought if he was going to be able to find the splits he would be right in the finish."
"The blinkers going on have really made the difference. It was a great win."
Parnham is expecting the Sires' Produce Stakes winner to develop further as he matures and he suggested the Group One WA Derby on this day next year could be a possible long range goal.
"I've always thought he (God Has Spoken) would make into a lovely three-year-old. He should just continue to improve."
A $41,000 purchase from last year's BMW Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, God Has Spoken was bred and then sold by famous WA nursery Durham Lodge Thoroughbred Stud.
He is another classy performer by Durham's resident Danehill sire Blackfriars and is from their good producing Rubiton mare Dolly Will Do.
A stakes performer and triple Sydney winner, Dolly Will Do has produced seven winners - among them the Brisbane winner Bombay Sapphire, the dam of recent Sandown winner Agarkar.
The effort of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Wolfe Dreams to run second after using up petrol early to cross from a horror barrier draw was first class.
He had the audacity to skip clear on straightening, after being eyeballed by Gold Rocks, and he was only caught when he ran out of gas near the post.
"We were forced to work very hard early and it was a big effort," his rider Shaun McGruddy reported.
Horses who have filled the first and second placings in recent runnings of the Sires' have a habit of training on to feature in big races later in their career.
This is evident from the previous performers having included the likes of Bomber Bill, Hardrada, Old Nick, Covertly and last year's quinella-getters Brava Fortune and Cassandara Shadow who were both placed in last week's WA Oaks.
PICS - Greg Irvine.
