I’ve often wondered how a trainer like Chris Waller views a race in which he has multiple representation - four and five runners is commonplace. I remember the Epsom won by Hartnell a few years ago when he saddled up eight runners. There must be times when Chris has to look at the semaphore to check if any of his horses have finished in the money.
With just twenty horses in work David Payne rarely has that problem, although he found himself with a duo to watch in Saturday’s BM78 at Rosehill. The expatriate South African did his best to keep tabs on Raging Bull and Monfelicity in the 1800m event. He was thrilled to see Raging Bull grab the win. He was frustrated to see Monfelicity hopelessly held up for a run and had little doubt it should have been a stable quinella.
Raging Bull is an interesting horse. The experienced Payne identified him as a potential stayer very early in the gelding’s career. Raging Bull was a late two year old when he made his debut over 1400m at Rosehill finishing a creditable third to Cape Breton. Two weeks later he again finished third to Royalzel over 1500m on the same track. On both occasions he was running on in the closing stages. On returning from a spell Raging Bull was out of a place in a Hawkesbury maiden but occupied plenty of space in the stewards report. David couldn’t wait to get him to Wyong for a 2100m maiden and was well satisfied when he strolled home by a widening three lengths.
This was the 2100m maiden win at Wyong that stamped Raging Bull as an emerging stayer. Rider was Tim Clark - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“We decided to have a throw at the stumps by running him in the Spring Champion Stakes at his fifth start,” said David. “They’re only three once and he was a very fit horse. The favourite Profondo was going into the race at only his third start. Raging Bull was caught wide with no cover for half the race and whacked away to finish sixth less than six lengths from the winner Profondo. I was already thinking about the Victoria Derby if he pulled up well.”
Three weeks later Raging Bull took his place in the Victoria Derby field as a despised outsider at $101 but raced like a much shorter commodity. Michael Dee took him from a wide gate across heels to find the rail soon after the start. He had a cosy run a little worse than midfield until the 600m where Dee got him off the fence and began searching for a way into the clear. Raging Bull copped a buffeting from a bigger horse in Teewaters on straightening up, but got clear soon after and moved stylishly into third place at the 200m. Hitotsu was outstanding in defeating Alegron with Teewaters nosing Raging Bull out of third place. The Sydneysider covered all exes by pocketing $90,000 for connections. It was then home for a spell.
David Payne identified Raging Bull as a potential stayer very early in the gelding's career - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The son of Bull Point raced five times in the autumn of this year. He failed to place, but was not once disgraced against stern opposition on each occasion. He finished 8th to Anamoe in the Hobartville Stakes (4.6 lengths), 6th to Converge in the Randwick Guineas (6.6 lengths),
6th (11 lengths in the Australian Derby won by Hitotsu) and 7th (6.5 lengths to Verona in the Packer Plate. He was whisked to Melbourne to beat all but the placegetters in the 2800m St. Leger, beaten only 4.3 lengths by Alegron. “I had no doubt he still had a fair bit of maturing to do, and I was completely satisfied with what he’d done up to that point in time,” said David. “We got him straight home to the spelling paddock.”
A few noteworthy runs at Gr 1 level saw Raging Bull burdened with the steadier of 61kgs in Saturday’s BM 78. Conservatively ridden by Chad Schofield the gelding got a lovely run between horses at the 600m to be in the right spot on straightening for home. While his stablemate Monfelicity was looking for somewhere to put her feet, Raging Bull surged on the outside to grab the well tried favourite Lovely Esteem. David Payne’s achievement to have him ready for a first up win at 1800m deserves special mention. The four year old’s progress since Saturday’s win has all but convinced the trainer to back him up this week in the Gr 3 Premier’s Cup in which he’ll get a handy weight - a weight Chad Schofield might be struggling to make. Managers of the lighter jockeys have been out in force.
Raging Bull (Chad Schofield) gets the better of Lovely Esteem in the shadows of the post - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
Raging Bull was a $6000 “out of the paddock” purchase by Andrew Shelton, a long time client of the David Payne stable. Andrew was delighted when breeder Alan Williams elected to retain a share in his Bull Point colt out of the unraced Danbird mare Sunday Sinners. By the time Andrew completed his syndicate of family and friends, a total of twelve owners were involved in the horse. For a very modest stake they are now sharing in a healthy prize money tally of $299,000. Race callers and Sky Racing viewers alike are delighted by the fact that Raging Bull carries Andrew Shelton’s spectacular red, white stars, blue and white striped sleeves with a blue and red quartered cap - among Sydney’s most identifiable racing colours.
When the equine Raging Bull began his racing career it was widely assumed he was named for Martin Scorsese’s brilliant film biopic of the life and times of the legendary middleweight Jake LaMotta. When Andrew Shelton applied for the name he was thinking of the popular nickname of the high profile Queensland NRL star Gordon Tallis. “When he first came into work he had the unpredictable temperament of the fighter portrayed in the movie,” said David Payne. “The very first morning he was going out to work at Rosehill he threw his female rider straight over a fence. He was a real headache early days, and you’ve still got to watch him every minute.”
If you’re thinking Raging Bull was a cheap purchase at $6000, consider the story of his stablemate Monfelicity. This mare is raced by the Montefilia syndicate whose managing part owner Richard Kurland found her as a weanling on the NZ Bloodstock online site. Her sire Vadamos was a Gr 1 winner in France and is a son of the celebrated sire of stayers Monsun. Melbourne Cup winners Fiorente, Protectionist and Almandin were all sired by Monsun. The weanling filly’s dam Aplomb is a daughter of One Cool Cat (USA) and descends from a respectable family. The reason for the lack of interest in the filly remains a mystery, and Richard is still in shock that his bid of $NZ1700 was the successful one.
Admittedly he had to get the filly to Australia, and there have been considerable ongoing costs to get her to this stage, but consider the following figures. She’s had only ten starts for two wins and four placings for $95,000. She led throughout to stroll home in a Cl 1 at Newcastle over 2100m, and was very strong to the line in winning a Midway over the Randwick mile. Many believe she should have won last Saturday, and she was also held up two starts back when 5th only 2.5 lengths behind Elusive Jewel at Rosehill. David Payne is confident her best days are ahead.
Monfelicity (Winona Costin) grabs Cruel Summer in the closing stages to win a Midway at Randwick 9th July, 2022 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
And what of the star boarder at the Payne stables. “If you think Montefilia was a big mare last preparation, have a look at her now,” said the trainer. “She’s a fully furnished mountain of a mare who should reach her absolute peak this preparation. She’s already a four time Gr 1 winner and we’re after another one this spring. Her programme will begin in the Chelmsford Stakes, and continue through the George Main and the Hill Stakes. She’ll be a fit mare by the time she gets to Melbourne for both Cups. Jason Collett has indicated he’ll be available to ride her right through the campaign.”
The Payne strike rate with a twenty horse team in the last few months has been very impressive. Apart from Raging Bull and Monfelicity other stable runners to win have been Bazooka, Tapis Magique, Tympanist (2 wins), Navajo Peak, Wonderwomen (2 wins), Caboteur, Monastery, Sweet Mercy and Auckland. He has a promising three year old maiden in the stable currently by the name of State Of America. The American Pharaoh gelding made his debut over 1580m at Canterbury on August 3rd and did a few things wrong before working home nicely to finish third behind My Truth. Interesting to note that David has opted for the roomy Newcastle track when State of America runs again on Saturday August 20th.
To think it’s twenty years since David Payne arrived in Sydney with no stables and no horses to train - at the time a foreboding experience. Multiple premiership wins and 100 Gr 1 victories in South Africa were of little use when he became a small fish in the gigantic Sydney racing pool. Talent and patience were the two commodities required to make his mark in a foreign land at fifty four years of age as he was in 2002. This man has truckloads of both.
(Banner image - Raging Bull made light of his 61kgs to win the BM78 on Saturday - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)