Trainer Tony Millard and champion jockey Zac Purton have not partnered up for over 12 months, but they could be back as an item after aspiring star Divine Calling makes his long-awaited debut in the Cafeteria Handicap (1,400m).

Yesterday's running of the Group One Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne was a timely reminder of the class of Divine Calling, as 12 months ago today he was unluckily beaten when a narrow second in the same race. The Cox Plate winner of two weeks later finished behind him and so did some high quality winners of big races in Australia since, so it is serious form.

The grey had one more race during the Melbourne carnival before he was purchased as a Classic Mile-Derby prospect for this season. Even the Hong Kong Mile has been mentioned in reference to him. Although he has not raced in that 365 days, he has been here for quite a while and Millard has been painstaking in getting the gelding ready for whenever he did choose to run him.

Even at the owners' carnival over a month ago, Divine Calling had his second trial of the season and already looked very forward. He has been to the trials again just over a week ago and it seems connections are quite intent on having the grey win on debut.

That is no easy task - in all of last season, only three horses with previous race experience won on debut and, in a normal year, there are rarely more than five or six - but we saw another classic aspirant, Beauty Only, do it last week so it is possible.

And this sets up nicely for Divine Calling if he is ready, with Beauty Flame likely to cross and lead the field and Divine Calling looks one of the group immediately trailing the speed from gate one, along with Dundonnell (Gerald Mosse), Deep Thinker, and Trump.

The fly in the ointment for the leaders is apprentice Dicky Lui Cheuk-yin on It Has To Be You, as he pressed forward determinedly the last time he rode it in July and has done something similar on quite a few horses this season.

Either way, Purton will be able to choose his spot on Divine Calling from that draw. His danger looks a horse with somewhat less fanfare, ironically a 'Purton ride', in My Little Friend (Keith Yeung Ming-lun) whose light handicap ensured there was never much of a choice to agonise over for the champion jockey.

The Benno Yung Tin-pang-trained gelding is also a horse with upside, who was caught in the wrong place up the straight first time out. He is an unknown at 1,400m but does have the weight/fitness edge.