Diviner delivers for Equiano

Randwick trainer John Sargent was more than impressed with his Equiano winner Water Diviner at Canterbury on Wednesday.

“He should have won before now,” the former Kiwi conditioner admitted. “He’s putting it together now and I will start stepping him up in grade.”

Water Diviner (3g Equiano - Check In Time by Blevic) settled well back in the field over 1250m and then sprinted quickly to hit the front at the 100m mark. “It was really good to see him hit the line like that,” Sargent said. “He’s going to get over more ground with racing.”

The Sydney gelding is the 13th individual winner for Equiano (Fr) this season. The Swettenham Stud shuttler is second on the second season sires list in Victoria.

Sargent trains Water Diviner for leading bloodstock agent Anton Koolman who bought him for $150,000 out of the 2014 Karaka Ready to Run Sale. “He ran second at his first start at Canterbury last year but then had a nightmare run second-up so we sent him for a winter spell,” Sargent added. “Wednesday’s win was his third run back and he’s going a lot better this time in.”

Water Diviner has an unraced 2yo brother named Abolitionist with Tony McEvoy and their dam also has a yearling filly by Equiano.

Equiano (Fr) has 7 yearlings catalogued for the 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale and Swettenham’s first to parade is the colt from Lanesborough (Lot 93). His dam is a Redoute’s Choice three-quarter sister to Swettenham homebred Blackfriars - the 1999 Victoria Derby winner who has won the last five WA sires’ premierships.