Sweet Mercy’s explosive win in Saturday’s Four Pillars provided a much needed boost for David Payne. The veteran trainer has been a little out of sorts since his great favourite Monetfilia departed his Rosehill stables in late April, bound for the Inglis Chairman’s Broodmare Sale. It’s now history that the giant Kermadec mare made a near record $3.4 million, as Yulong Investments continued on its relentless pursuit of potential broodmares with black type racing records.
Under the tutelage of David Payne Montefilia had won four Gr 1’s and placed in another four. The expatriate South African trainer hoped her new owners would keep him in mind should they decide to give the mare a spring preparation. By the same token he wasn’t surprised when the mare entered the stables of Chris Waller who’d had strong previous connections with Yulong Investments.
Memories of Montefilia were temporarily pushed into the background as David watched his two stable runners compete in the third edition of the $500,000 Four Pillars Midway. He was pleased to see Bazooka box seating in the middle stages, but slightly concerned that Sweet Mercy was buried on the fence with only five of the twenty runners behind her.
Dylan Gibbons saved ground by staying hard on the fence around the turn, but despaired of finding clear running as they straightened up. With Sweet Mercy gathering momentum quickly, the young jockey decided to aim for a narrow split between the tiring Satness and Burning Need. “I could see how tight it was, and I wondered if the mare would be big enough and brave enough to barge through,” said David Payne. “I was amazed when she just shouldered those horses out of the way and put a margin on Oakfield Waratah and Burning Need in a few strides.”
She's only a pony but Sweet Mercy humbled the opposition in Saturday's Four Pillars - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
The Sweet Mercy story is yet another to lend heart to racing’s smaller players. It had its beginnings when David came away from the 2021 Inglis HTBA Sale with a Shalaa filly offered by Andrew Phillips’ Wahha Stud at Delungra NSW. “Sometime later I got a call from Andrew asking if I had any owners who might be interested in leasing a couple of fillies,” recalled David. “The fact that one of the fillies was by Capitalist and the other by Pride Of Dubai, immediately aroused interest among my clients. My loyal client and great friend Wayne Shelton quickly put syndicates together, and both fillies came into my stables.”
The Pride Of Dubai filly made it to the track as Allasandra, and despite coping with ongoing issues was able to post three wins and three placings for $124,000. She won a maiden at Wyong, a Cl 1 at Newcastle and a BM 72 on the Kensington track. Allasandra was retired after just thirteen runs. “I got a shock when I first saw the Capitalist filly,” said Payne. “Her attitude was great, but she was so tiny I couldn’t see her making the grade. I changed my mind the very first time we let her roll along. You could tell from the outset there was a decent motor under the bonnet. She’s still barely fifteen hands and far from robust, but there she was on Saturday pushing horses out of the way. You just never know.”
Allasandra (Jett Stanley) wins on the Kensington track 14/06/2023 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Sweet Mercy made her debut in a Hawkesbury maiden on April 13th 2022 and wasn’t disgraced in finishing third three lengths from the winner. That winner just happened to be In Secret whose six wins includes two Gr 1’s with a handy fourth in the recent TAB Everest also on her CV. Sweet Mercy ran right up to that impressive debut ten days later by strolling home in a 1000m Kembla maiden with Alysha Collett on board. She took a quantum leap to stakes level at her next outing. After dwelling at the start the tiny mare finished out of a place in the listed Vinery Woodlands Stakes. The winner was In Secret who’d already stamped herself as a filly bound for much greater heights.
The Capitalist filly would run two placings and three fourths before winning again. Tardy starts and a tendency to overdo it played against her in those early days. Her second win came up just before Christmas last year in a 1550m BM 72 at Canterbury with Tim Clark doing the honours. After being shuffled back at the 600m, she dived between horses in the straight to record a gutsy win over Kouklara.
Her next five runs produced only one placing, but she figured in the stewards report more than once. It was May 20th when she returned to the winner’s list in a 1400m Midway at Rosehill Gardens. Alysha Collett was on board for the first time in a year and gave Sweet Mercy the run of the race on the fence behind three leaders. Alysha had to check fleetingly when crowded between horses at the 200m, but Sweet Mercy quickly darted through the gap with the race in her keeping. Her next three runs yielded only one placing before David opted for the spelling paddock.
Jockeys are much taller then they used to be! Dylan Gibbons towers over David Payne after The Four Pillars - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
The Four Pillars was uppermost in the trainer’s mind from the moment Sweet Mercy returned to the stable. Everything appeared to be on track when she resumed with a handy third to Afterlight at Warwick Farm, but a few days later the trainer was horrified when the mare presented with a hind leg infection. “She required fairly extensive treatment which put her out of racing for quite some time,” said David. “Three weeks later I could see I’d need to try something pretty daring if she was to make the Four Pillars. We bit the bullet and decided to run her in a pretty strong BM78 at Randwick, with a view to backing her up at Rosehill on Saturday if she recovered well. She went back to last from a wide gate and ran home pleasingly to finish about 6 lengths from Gringotts. We decided to have a crack at the Four Pillars when she bounced back brilliantly from the Randwick run. I’ve already taken note of how well she handled the quick back up. She’s a tough little thing.”
Last Saturday was also the day of reckoning for Bazooka who struggled in the closing stages after having had the run of the race in the Four Pillars. The gelding’s retirement has been imminent for some time. “He hasn’t won since the beginning of the year, and his form has tapered off considerably in the last few months,” said David Payne. “What a job he’s done for his large ownership group. We got him for $14,000 at the 2019 Inglis HTBA Sale and he’s banked almost $558,000. Three of his four wins were on city tracks, and he ran an amazing fourteen placings. He’s a beautifully natured horse with a bright future in the show ring. We’re already considering offers from interested parties.”
Bazooka's last win - a BM78 at Rosehill 07/01/2023 with Ellen Hennessy in the saddle - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Of the twenty four horses in his Rosehill stable, the experienced Payne is perhaps most excited about the prospects of two year old filly Trafalgar Square, who’s unbeaten in two recent Rosehill trials. The trainer went to $110,000 for the Churchill filly at this year’s Gold Coast sale. She was quickly snapped up by a syndicate put together by the ever enthusiastic Wayne Shelton. “She was out of the gates like a flash in both trials, and did everything right,” said David. “She’s a nice actioned filly with a very genuine attitude. We’re looking forward to her first race start.”
The smile says it all! David after Montefilia's win in the 2022 Ranvet Stakes - one of the mare's four Gr. 1s - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Sweet Mercy spots Steve Hart's camera as she thunders home in the Four Pillars - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)