South Africa’s highest priced yearling with a price tag of R4 million back in 2010, the beautifully bred Divine Jet endured an injury interrupted track career.
At stud he failed to get the support but produced a first winner from less than a handful of mares, when the aptly named Gotcaughtspeeding won on his Fairview all-weather debut on Easter Monday.
Gotcaughtspeeding wins under Ryan Munger (Pic – Pauline Herman Photography)
Bred by Hemel ‘n Aarde, the diminutive winner is out of the one-time winning Casey Tibbs mare, Irish Darling. Relaxed early on, Ryan Munger produced the Yvette Bremner trained chestnut late in the 1100m dash and he ran on powerfully to win going away.
After a racing career that saw him win four times from 1200m to 1400m, with a stakes best third in the Gr3 Merchants, Divine Jet, a son of champion Jet Master and a half-brother to a multiple Gr1 winner, achieved a respectable career high MR of 112 and stood his first season at Hemel ‘n Aarde.
He has since moved on to Brad van der Riet in the Eastern Cape. David Hepburn-Brown told the Sporting Post that the support just wasn’t there.
The ever optimistic Brad van der Riet of Vanree Stud, who is now based in the Golden Triangle, says he has purchased five mares specifically to be covered by Divine Jet.
“We have to keep trying. Elliodor made it with five mares!” he quipped.
Divine Jet in action
When Divine Jet made his debut early as a 3yo for Dean Kannemeyer in August 2011, he started at odds-on in a field of sixteen at Clairwood. Slow away, he scored a comfortable win.
Two more wins followed and then came his acid test in the Cape Guineas. Slow away again, the 28/10 favourite never got into the hunt, finishing seventh behind easy winner Variety Club. The colt returned to 1200m on Met-day a month later, starting at odds-on in a field of sixteen, winning easily.
His subsequent racing performances were something of an anti-climax. He was kept to sprinting and well tried in the best company – but never won again. His starting habits and health issues hampering his progress.
As a contemporary of stars like Variety Club, Gimmethegreenlight and Jackson, the decision to restrict Divine Jet to sprinting appears understandable. Interestingly, his half brother Divine Jury upset the favourites in the Dingaans and SA Classic (over 1800m) in a short career which ended after that last win.
