He stands barely fifteen hands, he’s athletic without being robust and he sure as hell doesn’t win out of turn. In fact, Fox Fighter’s victory in Saturday’s BM88 at the ‘Hill was his first in twenty one months. In between times however the little fella earned prize money in all but three of sixteen starts. In the current head spinning utopia that is Sydney racing, a horse as genuine as Fox Fighter can cover all exes and leave a bit to spare.
He was having his fortieth start on Saturday and it was his sixth win. Throw in five seconds and seven thirds and don’t forget the smaller returns for finishing just behind the placegetters on many occasions. What do you think this modest little horse has earned for his fifteen owners? An amazing $559,000 that’s what! He’s never been in a Group race. His seven attempts at listed level have yielded two thirds and three fourths, all returning handy prize money. He’s just a perennial trier with enough natural ability to be highly competitive at the higher BenchMark levels when the breaks come his way. He also happens to be in the safe hands of an eminently skilful trainer in David Payne.
Seldom have things played so perfectly into Fox Fighter’s hands than they did in Saturday’s Mounties Group BM88 at a blustery Rosehill Gardens. To begin with he had his preferred option of a firm track underfoot, and a busy pace up front. Chad Schofield allowed him to jump under his own steam and had him perfectly placed midfield one off the fence as they joined the course proper. At the 600m Bubba’s Bay, Dashing Legend and Felix Majestic were vying for the front with favourite Willaidow enjoying a cosy run in fourth spot outside Kibou. Fox Fighter was in seventh spot outside Battleton and trailing Shezanalister. Schofield glided across heels to put Fox Fighter into clear air on straightening up, as Battleton got into restricted room. It was one of those finishes when any one of four or five horses looked to have winning chances. Totally oblivious to his $44.00 quote, Fox Fighter just put out his pony like head to grab victory from Battleton and Kibou.
Fox Fighter looks to have been beaten from this angle but his 15 owners cheered when his number went into the frame - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“He’s no superstar but how I’d love to have another few like him,” said trainer Payne. “He’s so uncomplicated. He just does his work, tries his heart out every time he goes around, and never leaves a scrap in the feed bin. Most importantly he’s never taken a lame step. The neverending run of wet tracks this year hasn’t helped. He gets through them fairly well, but simply can’t let down the way he did on Saturday. He ran probably the worst race of his career in the Takeover Target Stakes at Newcastle in May when he got beaten out of sight behind Semillion on a Heavy 9. I asked the owners to let me put him away until the rain went away.”
One of those owners was syndicate manager Wayne Shelton who’s been one of David Payne’s staunchest supporters in recent years. He was quick to swing into action when the trainer told him about a little bay colt he’d purchased “on spec” for $55,000 at the 2020 Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale. David needed no convincing about the credentials of the colt’s sire Foxwedge, a son of Fastnet Rock and the producer of multiple Gr 1 winners. He noted that the dam Stage Beauty was a two time South Australian winner who in turn had produced five winners including a sprinkling on metropolitan tracks. “Wayne Shelton backed my judgement and put together a group of friends and associates to race the horse,” said David. “I even retained a small share myself. Wayne is a former successful businessman who became involved in racing after his retirement. He loves to get people involved and enjoys seeing the looks on their faces when one of the horses wins a race. He comes up with an amazing cross section of people every time he puts a syndicate together. I know we’ve got a truck driver and a plumber involved in Fox Fighter. Fancy having a little horse capable of winning six races with twelve placings for $559,000 in prize money. That’s what this game is all about.”
This was Fox Fighter's previous win 21 months ago - the Furphy Hcp at Rosehill with Tom Sherry in the saddle. He earned plenty of prize money in between - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
David has been quietly chuffed of late to have Chad Schofield riding regularly for the stable. He has vivid memories of a very young Chad attending Greyville trackwork in Durban with his father Glyn who was among South Africa’s most in demand jockeys. By a massive coincidence David would apprentice young Schofield in Sydney several years later. After a valuable two years with the Payne stable Chad transferred to David Hayes in Victoria where he quickly came under the notice of outside trainers. It was Danny O’Brien who entrusted him with the ride on three year old Shamus Award in the 2013 Cox Plate. “He was a natural from the beginning,” recalled Payne. “His understanding of pace was obvious from an early age and you saw that when he led all the way to win that Cox Plate. After several successful years in Hong Kong he decided to settle in Sydney where he’s one of an army of top riders.”
David Payne chats with his former apprentice Chad Schofield after Fox Fighter's win on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
After a long and celebrated career David Payne nowadays keeps his team to a very manageable twenty horses. With his four time Gr 1 winning mare Montefilia now at stud the trainer is painstakingly trying to identify his next elite level performer. He’s quietly optimistic about the prospects of a sparingly raced three year old filly called Shohisha who debuted with a promising win in a Warwick Farm midweeker on August 21st. After beginning only fairly, Shohisha spotted the leaders some six lengths on the corner before diving back to the fence on straightening. She seemed to take an age to hit top gear, but started to motor when Schofield found a gap between horses 100m out. She just scrambled home from favourite Pinito and Mayne, but looked as though she was just getting interested on the line.
Shohisha (Chad Schofield) hits the line resolutely to win a Warwick Farm maiden at her only start to date - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Although she looks a stayer in the making Shohisha is by a pure sprinter in Supido, a son of Sebring. Supido won seven races in Victoria including the Gr 3 Monash Stakes at Caulfield. She’s out of a NZ bred mare called Consommateur (Roc De Cambes- Consumer) whose thirteen starts for Mick Kent yielded three wins and three placings for $154,000. The trainer thought enough of Consommateur to bring her to Sydney for the Gr 3 Epona Stakes at Rosehill in 2017, and his judgement was vindicated when the filly scored a dominant win for jockey Dwayne Dunn. There was no sharp dash evident, but she warmed into a strong late charge to win the 1900m stakes race by a widening 2.8 lengths. Interesting to note Shohisha’s second dam is by the super sire Zabeel. If staying is to be her future, she’ll get every chance in the hands of David Payne.
(Banner image - Fox Fighter's only a pony but that hasn't stopped him winning more than $559,000 in prize money - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)