By Julieanne Horsman
When first-time racehorse owner Nick Kyrgios watched Divine Secrets break her maiden six weeks ago, he mused with Sky Racing’s Kayla Nisbet “it doesn’t really get much better than that, I guess it’s all downhill from now.”
But the tennis star couldn’t have been less accurate with his prediction.
Despite being a Class 1 horse, Divine Secrets easily accounted for the Class 2 field at Thoroughbred Park a fortnight ago and on Saturday the Peter Snowden-trained filly will be chasing her third win in four starts when she lines up in the TLE Thanks Schneider Electric F&M Benchmark 64 Handicap 1300m at Kembla Grange.
“That was a good win in Canberra,” Peter Snowden said. “She jumped well and travelled strongly. It was her first time over 1300m and that suited her.”
The track at Thoroughbred Park was a Soft 6 and Kembla Grange was rated a Soft 7 on Thursday night with some rain forecast, but that’s not a concern for Snowden.
“I don’t think a heavy track will worry her,” he said. “We won’t be scratching if the track does go into the heavy range.”
With regular jockey Andrew Adkins riding at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, Mitchell Bell has been engaged for Kembla Grange. Divine Secrets has drawn barrier four which will suit her racing pattern.
“I think she will race up on the speed and sit in the first four or five comfortably,” Snowden said. “She has a good racing profile and is working her way through her grades well. She is a big, strong, scopey filly with potential.”
Divine Secrets is raced by small, Sydney-based operation Capri Racing and Syndication. She caught Director Vince Ferraro’s eye at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2024, and he couldn’t leave without her.
“She stepped out of her box and looked like an athlete,” he said. “While she showed some ability as a two-year-old we have given her time to grow into her body and she has furnished into a real lady.”
Divine Secrets is a half-sister to staying Tavistock gelding Outovstock who won the Group 3 Manawatu Classic at Trentham Racecourse in 2024.
Nick Kyrgios is unlikely to be at Kembla Grange on Saturday, but he has been bitten by the racing bug and lady luck seems to be on his side.
His newest horse, two-year-old gelding Seeiaye also trained by Peter Snowden, debuted with a dominant win in the Max Lees Classic.
