Payne putting his faith in Montefilia
TRAINER David Payne has the right horse, the right barrier, the right conditions and the right attitude to be successful in the $8m Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Payne, a fatalist and trainer of Group 1 star Montefilia, accepts things unfold – good or bad – for a reason.
“Everything is there, now it has just got to work out,” Payne said.
The mindset certainly helped Sydney trainer Payne stomach a loss in the Caulfield Cup last start.
Jockey Jason Collett left Montefilia with too much to do, having failed to react sooner to a mid-race slackening of the speed, and then “took the wrong option” in the straight.
Despite the circumstances Montefilia picked off 10 positions in the straight to run fourth, a length off winner Durston, with the fastest last 200m sectional in the
Caulfield Cup. The 11.80-second split ended up being the seventh quickest of the entire Caulfield meeting.
Her ability to sprint off a moderate tempo has sealed Payne’s belief in Montefilia being ripe for the 3200m Flemington acid test.
“She should get two miles, easily,” Payne said.
“You look at the Caulfield Cup run, she was stronger on the line than anything.
“To tell you the truth I was bleeding, I think he (Collett) took the wrong option coming in. He should’ve gone out but anyway, that’s racing … it is history now. We move on.”
Payne said Collett should have gone wide in the straight and allowed bigstriding mare Montefilia to let down accordingly rather than try and weave a path through the field.
Montefilia has the best domestic form in the Cup bar none, having tackled Incentivise, Verry Elleegant,
Think It Over, Anamoe and Cascadian the past 12 months.
She ran fourth to Anamoe first-up in the Group 1 George Main Stakes then placed third in the Group 2 Hill Stakes, unable to pick up her feet on the “sticky” Randwick surface.
“She’s always raced against the best,” Payne said.
Her Cup trial last start has not been missed with Montefilia an $11 equal second favourite at TAB.