When David Payne was approached by the same batch of owner-breeders who gave him subsequent four-time group 1 winner Montefilia about his interest in a skinny full-sister to Queensland Oaks winner Gypsy Goddess, the veteran trainer gave them a blunt assessment.
asserted
trainer → approach → assessment
“They wanted me to buy at the sale and they wanted 300-odd thousand,” Payne said after Proxima Dea’s third consecutive win.
“I looked at it and I said, no, come on.
asserted
I → want → it
The Transtasman Breeders group of Andy Giles, Hugh Docherty and Caroline Vincent retained the Tarzino-Invisible Coin filly through top trainer Ciaron Maher, who paid the $300,000 reserve at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and took her on.
asserted
who → retain → her
The ownership group bought dam Invisible Coin on the back of its success with Montefilia and before Gypsy Goddess had broken through.
asserted
Goddess → buy → Montefilia
Months later, the group asked Payne to take over the unraced filly, which is now unbeaten in four starts and poised to give the 78-year-old trainer a first group 1 win since Montefilia’s 2022 Ranvet Stakes victory on Saturday in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
asserted
which → ask → Randwick
“She wasn’t much to look at, but horses, they make fools of you,” Payne said of the young Proxima Dea, which he still described as ugly after her group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) win last start.
“
asserted
he → look → win
They bred her and wanted to put a reserve of $300,000 of her.
asserted
They → breed → her
At that stage, I think Ciaron Maher must have thought the same.
asserted
Maher → think → same
He took it on and couldn’t put it together, I suppose, so they asked me to train it.
asserted
they → take → it
“You just never know, with what goes around.
asserted
what → know → ?
It’s a funny game.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
“We gave her four or five trials to work her out, but being a stayer, they take time and when we ran her first-up, I thought she’d run a nice race, but she ended up winning, and she’s just kept winning.
asserted
she → give → race
Payne has won the Spring Champion with Montefilia in 2020 and colt Ace High in 2017.
asserted
Payne → win → 2017
Proxima Dea was $5 (TAB) to give him another victory in the three-year-old staying test, and a $3.50 favourite for the main target, the VRC Oaks (2500m) on November 5 at Flemington.
asserted
Dea → give → Flemington
“She’d bred to stay very well, so you would think the further, the better for her,” Payne said.
asserted
Payne → breed → her
Montefilia was a much bigger, stronger filly, but it’s still early days.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
She might develop, you never know.”
uncertain
you → develop → ?
Payne also has Ming Dynasty Quality winner Persian Wonder ($19) in the Spring Champion.
asserted
Payne → have → Champion
He was one that Payne did buy, for $160,000, at the same Inglis sale.
asserted
Payne → buy → sale
The gelding, with two wins in 11 starts, earned a shot at the group 1 when less than two lengths away in sixth in the Gloaming.
asserted
gelding → earn → Gloaming
“It was a good run because it was a muddling race, a slow pace and he was coming home strong, so we’ll step him up and I think he will run well,” Payne said.
asserted
Payne → muddle → him
“We’ll see how he goes, if he runs well, I might put him in the [Victoria] Derby [on October 31].
uncertain
I → see → October
The pair and Furious and Tea Rose Stakes winner Bangkok Hottie, which was third in the group 1 Flight Stakes before going for a spell, have led a memorable resurgence from Payne’s boutique Rosehill stable.
asserted
which → go → stable
The former champion South African trainer and jockey, who relocated to Australia in 2002, has relished the success against the major stables and shows no signs of slowing down.
“I’ve been around a long time, and it’s just the challenge,” he said.
asserted
he → relocate → signs
“At the sales, we buy the cheapies and it’s nice when it works out.
asserted
it → buy → cheapies
Numbers beat you usually.
asserted
Numbers → beat → you
They have big numbers and we keep only 16 in work, so you are taking on hundreds of horses from different stables, but we’ve been lucky this year, touch wood.
asserted
we → have → wood
“I’m going to be 79 in January, and I’ve got to have something to do, and I enjoy this.
asserted
I → go → this
“I mean, who would think they would still be working [at 78], but I love it.
asserted
I → mean → it
I’ve got good clients who look after me and let me do my thing.
asserted
me → get → thing
“Otherwise, what would you be doing?
asserted
you → do → what
Without work, you can only get up and go for a walk and a coffee, and then you’ve got the rest of the day.
asserted
you → get → day
If you travel, you’re away for a few weeks, then you are back, so you’ve got to have something to do.”
asserted
you → travel → something
John Sargent-trained Flight Stakes winner Global Goal was a $2.90 favourite for the Spring Champion.
asserted
Goal → train → Champion
Payne’s pair are yet to face her.
asserted
pair → face → her
“She’s a very good filly, any filly that wins the Flight Stakes like her,” Payne said.
asserted
Payne → ’s → her
“She’s going to be hard to beat.”
asserted
She → go → ?
The Aporia
