Divine Prophet heads Highview roster at NZ$13,500

Written by Keely Mckitterick

Waikato-based Highview Stud has set its fees for the 2023 season. Its roster of three will be headed by the transferred Divine Prophet at NZ$13,500 plus GST.

The former Australian Aquis-based Divine Prophet will stand his debut season at Highview for NZ$13,500. He stood for $16,500 (inc GST) at Aquis Farm in 2022.

Placing in the G1 Champagne S. as a juvenile, Divine Prophet returned as a 3-year-old to claim the G1 Caulfield Guineas and the G3 Up And Coming S.

He retired to Aquis Farm, where he has sired 72 winners, including the Group 2 winners See You In Heaven and Promitto, from the oldest progeny, just 4-year-olds.

Sure to hold immense appeal to New Zealand breeders is that Divine Prophet is a full brother to the outstanding Proisir, who will stand at Rich Hill Stud for NZ$70,000 plus GST.

“Proisir has exploded this season,” Highview’s Brent Gillovic said. “Here you have his full brother, a Group 1 Guineas winner, a proven sire already, only a 9-year-old, his yearlings have sold up to $375,000, and he's available at a fraction of his full brother's fee. It's a no-brainer, isn't it?”

Santos follows Divine Prophet

Divine Prophet was one of two stallions procured by Gillovic from Aquis Farm in Queensland to stand at Highview this season, with the other being Santos.

Santos, a son of the Champion Sire I Am Invincible, will stand for NZ$7500 plus GST - a dual winner as a juvenile highlighted by his G2 Skyline S. win.

The oldest progeny of Santos are 2-year-olds, and from 12 to run, he has sired two winners of three races, including Ulanova (NZ), who is a Group 3 winner and was placed in the G1 Sistema S.

“Aquis has a large number of stallions on their farm in Queensland,” Gillovic said. “There isn't a great deal of available mares in that state, and it's a fair hike from the Hunter Valley and beyond. So, they are looking for other options for their stallions to help them reach their full potential.

“They invited me to make a case for relocating Santos over here. I later went back to them and cheekily suggested that Divine Prophet might go better in New Zealand too. He has more than 100 rising 2-year-olds about to run for him next season, so I didn’t think they’d take me seriously. You could have knocked me over with a feather when they agreed to send him over too!

“You look at Santos, and he’s just a ‘wow’ horse,” Gillovic said. “They often say his sire is the best-looking horse in the Hunter Valley, and he’s in a similar vein. He’s as nice a horse as you’ll see. I’m sure breeders won’t be disappointed.

“He’s a big horse, he’d be 16.2hh, so you wouldn’t necessarily expect him to throw 2-year-olds. But Ulanova has done a really good job in New Zealand this season. The other day, he also had a first starter (West of Dalby) win against older horses at Newcastle. Nigel Tiley had one trial impressively at Avondale (Vila Belmiro), so they obviously have ability.”

Wrote rounds out roster

Rounding out the Highview roster is Wrote (Ire), who will stand for NZ$6500 plus GST in 2023.

A son of High Chaparral (Ire), who won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, at stud Wrote has produced Wrote To Arataki (NZ), a winner of G3 Geoffrey Bellmaine and Best Seller (NZ), who won the G3 Hawke's Bay Gold Trail S. and placed in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.

“I have given his fee a great deal of thought,” Gillovic said. “He has had a Group 3 winner on either side of the Tasman this season, including Best Seller, who unfortunately ran into Legarto (when finishing second) in the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas.

“He has had a very high percentage of winners to runners, and his sale results have provided breeders an excellent return on investment.

“The quality of his mares has improved from his first year at stud, and he clearly is an upgrading stallion both physically and ability-wise.”

Table: Highview Stud's stallion roster in 2023