Divina Grace takes John Porter spoils at Newbury

Divina Grace made just about all the running and fended off Tabletalk to win the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes at Newbury.

Having her first start for Andrew Balding since leaving the retired Rae Guest, she was allowed to roll along in front under David Probert in a race registered as the John Porter Stakes.

A 14-1 chance in a seven-runner field, with Balding also running the better-fancied Bellum Justum, she was there to be shot at with a quarter of a mile to run.

Oisin Murphy appeared to be going very well on 6-4 favourite Sunway and while Ancient Wisdom dropped away tamely to be last, Tabletalk appeared on her inside as another challenger.

As Sunway’s challenge flattened out, Divina Grace and Tabletalk fought out a tight finish, with the mare prevailing by a short head to take Group Three honours.

“I was delighted with the ride from David. It seems like you need to be handy and Rae had helped us with the way she likes to be ridden and it suited her well,” said Balding.

“She looked a bit wintry still, but from a fitness point of view we weren’t worried. I thought we might have to settle for a place when Tabletalk came to us, but she was very tough when we needed her to be.

“We’ll take it a step at the time, but we haven’t really thought of a plan just yet.”

Tom Clover was bitterly disappointed to be denied with his Melrose winner but is now eyeing a return to the scene of his finest hour for a crack at the Yorkshire Cup next month.

“He’s ran really well, but it’s always frustrating to be denied by short margins and that’s my second one in stakes’ races this week after Rogue Lightning in America,” said the Newmarket handler.

“We felt a bit brave coming into a Group Three off 104 but it has proved the right thing to do. He’s not slow and he travelled through the race lovely.

“We’ve got him in the Yorkshire Cup which if we won today would have been a certainty for his next race, so we’ve got that as a good option I think. It was a massive run and it was heads up, heads down.

“He’s run a lovely race and we hope easy one-mile-six races would be fine for him and we know he can also run over a mile and a half fine.”