Payroll earns a $1m date
PAYROLL has clinched a trip to the Gold Coast for the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy after an emphatic victory in the Listed Lord Stakes at Caulfield yesterday.
Part-owned by Brownlow medallist Robert DiPierdomenico, Payroll posted her fifth win — and second in a row — in near-record time over 1700m.
After downing veteran and 2014 Lord Stakes winner Jacquinot Bay and Coldstone, Payroll will head to Queens- land to chase the biggest purse of her career.
“She ran third in the Magic Millions [to Stratum Star] last year and she’s a bigger and stronger mare now and when you’ve got that sort of money [at] stake, the way she’s racing you’ve got to look at that,” trainer Richard Laming said.
“She’s just taken a while to hit her straps and mature and come of age.
“To see her do what she just did then and the time she’s run [1:41.76], there’s a pretty bright future for her.”
The win brought up a dou- ble for Damien Oliver, who earlier won on Onehundred Percent. “She’s in great form,” Oliver said of Payroll.
“Full credit to Richard and the team, they’ve got her going in career-best form and it’s all systems go to the Gold Coast.”
Darren Weir hinted the Goodwood Handicap could be Stellar Collision’s long-range assignment after his Christmas Stakes (1200m) triumph.
A failure on shifty ground at his previous start at Pakenham, the sprinter overcame Oak Door and Lucky Liberty to register his seventh win from 20 starts. “He’s got the ability to run in better races,” Weir said of the stable enigma.
“Even though he’s won seven races from not a lot of starts, he’s a bit hit and miss.”
An inexpensive tongue tie delivered a $66,000 windfall for import Serenade The Stars in the Joe Brown Plate (2400m). Beaten almost 50 lengths 10 days ago at the same course and distance, Serenade The Stars rebounded with a gritty win over My Psychiatrist and Goodwood Zodiac.
“The magic tongue tie has done the trick,” trainer Peter Gelagotis said. “The horse choked down last start. Why, we don’t know.”
Gelagotis praised Craig Williams for looking after Serenade The Stars at Caulfield when the Irish-bred stayer suddenly lost touch at his previous start.
“He didn’t knock him around and something had to come out of it,” Gelagotis said.
“Credit to Racing Victoria stewards, they scoped the horse, but there was nothing there, and we put it down to plain and simple, that he got his tongue back.”