David Payne’s small-scale operation has a remarkable talent for unearthing Group 1 contenders, and he’s eager for the two-year-old Persian Wonder to join that distinguished list.
The promising horse faces off in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, aiming to secure his first victory at the elite level following several strong showings, including a recent close second behind Southend in the Baillieu (1400m) at Rosehill last month.
Hailing originally from South Africa, Payne has prepared over 100 Group 1 victors globally, refining numerous elite runners in Australia such as Criterion, Ace High and Montefilia.
Even with restricted resources and stable size, he keeps outperforming expectations.
Though the modest trainer credits fortune as a key element, his sharp judgment for yearlings is evident.
“I have been in the game a long time and I’ve been lucky with buying horses,” Payne said.
“But you’ve got to find the horse first. We buy maybe ten at the sales, other stables might buy 250. But we always find one, and we’ve got a couple there at the moment.”
In addition to Wednesday’s standout Warwick Farm victor Bangkok Hottie, now resting ahead of a autumn campaign targeting the Princess Series, Persian Wonder emerges as a key prospect for the stable moving forward.
An wide barrier has complicated his challenge at Randwick, yet the young horse excels when settled back, and Payne plans to employ that strategy there.
He positioned closer to the pace on his latest outing with James McDonald aboard, and although victory eluded him, Payne appreciated the learning experience.
“It was a good run. I thought he might have been a bit too handy, but it’s good that James taught him to get out of the gates,” he said.
“It’s a tough race on Saturday so we’ll ride him quiet and see what happens.
“We have been aiming him at this for a while, so we’ll see if he’s good enough.”
James McDonald is locked in for Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Campione D’italia, so Chad Schofield returns to ride Persian Wonder after steering him to a promising fourth in the Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) on March 14.
Explore the Australian betting sites for the best odds ahead of the Champagne Stakes.
