Flight Stakes winner Montefilia chasing history in Spring Champion
Trainer David Payne is hoping last week’s Flight Stakes winner Montefilia can repeat the dose in the Spring Champion Stakes, which will put his mare in the record books.
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Recent history gives trainer David Payne confidence Flight Stakes heroine Montefilia can rewrite the record books in Saturday’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
The daughter of Kermadec is looking to become the first horse to win the Flight Stakes-Spring Champion double when she chases a second Group 1 win in eight days this weekend.
Just two fillies have won the Spring Champion in close to 50 editions of the race with Yankee Rose (2016) and Maid Of Heaven (2018) both tasting success in the 2000m feature.
Both of those victories have come in the past five years and the fillies both came through the Flight Stakes although neither won the mile Group 1.
Yankee Rose was runner up in her edition of the Flight before she was later disqualified for a positive swab to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory while Maid Of Heaven was a luckless sixth two years later.
It still proved to be the perfect launching pad for both fillies’ Spring Champion assault.
Montefilia brings the upset in a thrilling edition of the @DarleyStallions Flight Stakes! pic.twitter.com/pkYIp6nlHJ
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 3, 2020
Payne is hoping to the short back up can be used with the same success with Montefilia but he was under no illusions about the task in front of his filly as she chases a slice of history.
“You have always got a task, that’s just the way it is in racing. Racing is tough,” Payne said.
“We are going well that’s the main thing.
“I wouldn’t be running if I didn’t think she would be competitive again and what will be, will be.
“When you think she only won a Group 1 at only her sixth start, that’s quite an achievement for her in itself.
“(The) 2000m is more to her liking than 1600m so she should be comfortable at the trip.”
Montefilia was the $3.40 favourite with TAB.com.au for the Spring Champion on Thursday on the back of her last start success.
Payne made the decision on Monday this week to back up Montefilia and she has continued to impress the South African-born horseman since.
“I think she is quite tough so generally comes through her runs well and she ate up,” he said.
“It doesn’t seem to have affected her.
“She is very laid back around the stables. Nothing worries her and is always pleasure to deal with.
“She is fit now and ready to go.”
Payne pinpointed Victorian raider Cherry Tortoni and Gloaming Stakes winner Love Tap as the main competition for his filly in the Spring Champion.
“It’s tough with the horse from Melbourne coming up that looks a fair horse and Love Tap of Richard and Michael Freedman’s is a very good horse,” Payne said.
“The Freedmans’ horse was very impressive the other day in the Gloaming so it is going to be a tough task but you have to test them to see how good they are.”
Jason Collett will take the ride on Montefilia on Saturday with Flight Stakes jockey Hugh Bowman riding in Melbourne for Caulfield Guineas day this weekend.
Originally published as Flight Stakes winner Montefilia chasing history in Spring Champion