When this week started Divine Jewel was an outsider just to make the field for the $150,000 Country Championships heat at Mudgee Race Club.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But Wellington trainer Michael Mulholland still threw a nomination in as the mare had one last chance to impress and earn a spot in the final field of 14.
Mulholland travelled to Tamworth with Divine Jewel on Tuesday and her half-length win in a class one there, and subsequent rise in the benchmark rating, saw the five-year-old sneak a start.
Divine Jewel will go from gate seven with Anthony Cavallo onboard in the Central Districts heat and while she was a $51 outsider on Friday morning, Mulholland knows the potential to spring some sort of an upset is there.
"I threw the nomination in on the way to Tamworth the other day because I thought if she won she'd get in," Mulholland told Racing NSW.
"Midfield is the best I think I can go with her but she is coming off a win and she will get the 1400m strongly.
"She is going to be back and she's got to have luck. Coming around that corner I want everything to fan and she's just behind them and gets a run at them."
READ ALSO:
Divine Luck has only been with Mulholland for roughly a year, having previously been trained by Aaron Purcell.
The win at Tamworth was her best performance and she heads to Mudgee second up this preparation.
The Kiwi mare is Mulholland's lone hope at the showcase meeting.
Sunday's $150,000 heat jumps at 4.45pm.