AFTER a rough outing on October 18 — finishing 10th by more than 11 lengths behind Is That A Fact and Run Julie Run at a mile (1,600m) — five-year-old American-bred bay horse Divine Force is primed for a comeback in this afternoon’s $1.25-million Alsafra Trophy at Caymanas Park.

Under the guidance of trainer Anthony “Baba” Nunes, Divine Force has been meticulously prepped for the seven-and-half-furlong (1,500m) showdown. On November 1 he clocked 1:01.3 for five furlongs (1,000m) and followed up with a five-and-half-furlong (1,100m) gallop in 1:08.2, with five furlongs done in 1:01.4 on November 9. Divine Force rounded out his preparation with a clocking of 1:15.0 for six furlongs (1,200m) on November 16.

In his two previous attempts over the exact distance as the Alsafra race Divine Force showed promising form. He was fifth behind Commandant (1:31.4) with a time of 1:33.0, and third behind Desert of Malibu (1:32.3) in 1:34.1. Those runs highlight his capability to handle the distance, and analysts believe his speed and class should carry him to victory in the Overnight Allowance contest for three-year-olds and upward.

With a strong training build and a track record that suggests he’s due for a bounceback performance,
Divine Force is a horse to watch as he aims to seal the Alsafra Trophy win this afternoon.

The contest is positioned as the ninth event on the 10-race card with a post time of 4:20 pm. First race is at 11:30 am.

While Divine Force is the headline favourite, the Alsafra Trophy won’t be a walk in the park. Two contenders that could shake up the field are Digital One (United States) and Intrestntimesahead.

Digital One (Uncle Lino – Legal Redemption) recently stepped down from higher-class races into Overnight Allowance company. On October 19 she proved she still has punch, finishing second by a length behind Dothraki over five and a half furlongs. Though she’s been focusing on sprint distances lately, her pedigree suggests she can handle the seven-and-half-furlong stretch and could challenge the leaders.

Intrestntimesahead (Bold Conquest – My Friend Lucy) has a more mixed record with one win in six starts this season (a victory on May 23 over seven furlongs). He showed recent form at today’s distance on September 28, placing second behind Unspun (Unspun 1:33.1, Intrestntimesahead 1:33.3). Those times indicate he’s right on the heels of the front–runners and could make a late surge.

With both horses capable of delivering strong performances, Divine Force will need to stay sharp to fend off these threats.