Montefilia makes history with gutsy win in Spring Champion Stakes
Trainer David Payne has provided a unique insight into racing’s newest sensation Montefilia after the star mare made history with victory in the Spring Champion Stakes. Plus, all the talking points in At the Track.
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Spring Champion Stakes winner Montefilia and her trainer, David Payne, are a good fit.
Montefilia is nonchalant about her racing and is winning Group 1 races for fun. She claimed her second major in a week with an outstanding staying effort in the $1 million three-year-old classic over 2000m at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Payne describes Montefilia as a very relaxed filly who takes everything in her stride.
He could have been talking about himself.
He had just trained his 109th Group 1 winner of his celebrated career but remained his usual calm, measured self.
Payne doesn’t train a huge team at his Rosehill stable base – he has 16 in work – but he always seems to have a topliner in his care.
When asked how he does it, Payne replied: “Luck, I suppose.’’
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Payne’s success has more to do with skill than luck. He gets it too right too often to be a fluke and Montefilia is another case in point when she became the first Flight Stakes winner to back up and win the Spring Champion Stakes.
Montefilia ($2.70 favourite) was given a superb ride by Jason Collett and the filly wore down a game Lion’s Roar ($18) to win by three-quarters of a length with Bucharest ($21) nearly four lengths away in third place, just in front of the previously unbeaten Love Tap.
There was a sensation early in the race when Godolphin’s Choir, ridden by Rachel King, fell heavily near the 1600m and crashed through the running rail.
Fortunately, both horse and rider escaped serious injury and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Choir galloped along the inside Kensington where he was eventually caught near the finish line while King walked back to the jockey’s room unaided and was able to fulfil her remaining engagements.
Collett, who has never ridden in better form and has the mount on Gytrash in the $15 million The TAB Everest next Saturday, said Montefilia is a “credit to David Payne and his team.”
“She got her in top shape,’’ Collett said.
“I galloped her Thursday morning and I left there pretty excited.
“Then everything panned out perfectly in the race. I got the barrier to suit, it was just a matter of getting her into the clear at the right time.
“There is expectation there to get the result when you are riding the favourite, so it was great to just get the result.
“When I first came to Sydney, Chris Waller and David gave me a lot of opportunities, I stuffed a few of them up, so I’m very glad to get this win for David and his team.”
There was a time when fillies rarely ran in the Spring Champion Stakes with Yankee Rose the first of her sex to win in 2016 then Maid Of Heaven in 2018. Montefilia was the third filly in four years to beat the colts and geldings in the 2000m staying test.
“Montefilia is a very good filly – and she will be even better next year,’’ Payne said.
“If you look at her she is quite a lean filly so it’s exciting to see her win these two Group 1 races.’’
Payne said Montefilia’s best attributes are her relaxed nature and her determination.
“If you see her getting off the float you’d think she was flat as a pancake. She just stood there with her head down, she is a trainer’s dream,’’ Payne said.
“But on the racetrack, she wants to win. I think she got a little bit held up there but it all worked out well. When she gets out she has that big stride and away she goes.’’
Payne said he will consider chasing a third Group 1 win in as many starts with Montefilia in the Victoria Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on November 5. She was promoted to $4.50 favouritism after her Spring Champion win.
“I will have a look at the Oaks in Melbourne, you have to look at it,’’ Payne said.
“She has only had seven runs but we’ll see how she is in a couple of days as we will be taking on the fillies again. I feel she will be better over 2500m.”
Brenton Avdulla said Lion’s Roar “went huge” to finish a close second behind Montefilia.
“He has come a long way in a short space of time and was run down by a good filly. He has a bright future,’’Avdulla said.
Love Tap was given the run of the race by jockey Nash Rawiller but did not have the burst of acceleration needed to go with the likes of Montefilia over the final 200m.
“He hasn’t given any indication that he has come to the end of his preparation until the 300m then and he didn’t give me the kick. We’ll have a nice horse in the autumn,’’ Rawiller said.
