Father Brian Glasheen has closed his eyes and asked for assistance from the man above many times before.
And on Sunday, he decided to call on one more little favour.
The 82-year-old, who is known affectionately as the ‘Pacing Priest’ for his work done within the harness racing industry, holds a share in top New Zealand gelding Triple Eight and was entrusted to pick the gate at Sunday's Del-Re National A. G. Hunter Cup barrier draw.
If his arms-raised celebration in front of more than 500 people at Crown Casino is anything to go by, Fr Glasheen’s prayers seem to have been answered.
"I went in on the train and I know how barrier draws can make a complete fool of you, so I prayed to the Lord,” he said.
"I said 'now listen Lord, I need a bit of help. This is pretty dangerous, but I'm going to abandon myself into your care and I want barrier one or barrier eight'. And I was lucky enough to get barrier one."
Fr Glasheen, who grew up in a harness racing family and has loved the sport as long as he can remember, was gifted a share in Triple Eight by close friends Shannon Nixon, Joel Watson and Shane Cook over dinner one evening, when they produced ownership forms and asked for a signature.
“I think they paid $80,000 for the quarter share. Shannon said ‘I’m taking seven per cent, Joel is taking seven and Shane is taking seven and there’s four per cent left over for you. Sign here and you’re now a part-owner’,” he said.
“I married the three of them and baptised their kids. It was an enormous thrill. In money terms, probably they were giving me something that was worth at least $12,000.
“As far as in the racebook, I appear there the same as the others and it’s a great thrill.”
Triple Eight had been up and racing when Fr Glasheen and his mates joined the ownership, and the group has experienced many big races with the Kiwi, including the 2019 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Final and 2020 Hunter Cup, when he placed ninth.
They’ve since expanded their ownership and this week Triple Eight departed his Kiwi trainers Steven and Amanda Telfer for Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars’ Myrniong stable.
Many punters may think the six-year-old needs some divine intervention to upstage David Moran-trained champion Lochinvar Art tonight, but Fr Glasheen seems to hold an element of confidence his horse has what it takes to cause a legitimate boilover.
"He's probably likely to be three back on the rails. And three back on the rails at Melton is okay," he said.
"If there's plenty of speed on, if they run about 1.54-minute (mile rate), we'd be a chance.
"I'd be over the moon if he could run a place. The Hunter Cup is the greatest race on the Victorian calendar.”
READ MORE AHEAD OF THE HUNTER CUP:
>> Moran ready to step into unknown with brilliant Arty
>> Group 1 game plans, tips and punting chat