Weight is a virtue for Payne

Cardinal Virtue

Winner … Cardinal Virtue ridden to victory by jockey Josh Adams on Boxing Day. Picture: Nic Gibson
Source: The Daily Telegraph




TRAINER David Payne says the handicapper has done his job and now it is up to Cardinal Virtue in the Listed $100,000 Carrington Stakes (1100m) at Royal Randwick today.


Payne has a healthy respect for brilliant bush sprinter Border Rebel but believes the 60kg that horse must carry has “brought him right back to the field”.

“We all have to beat the topweight, he is a very smart horse,” Payne admitted. “But Cardinal Virtue is getting 7kg off Border Rebel and that brings them together.”

Border Rebel, the “Tamworth Tornado”, remains the $2.60 favourite with TAB Fixed Odds despite being asked to set a modern weight-carrying record in the Carrington.

Cheyne Walk (1977) was the last horse to carry 60kg and win this race. Identikit had 59.5kg when he won 13 years ago.

Payne drew confidence from Cardinal Virtue’s impressive win over the Carrington course and distance on Boxing Day.

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Cardinal Virtue carried 57kg last Sunday when he ran a very fast 1min 2.61sec for the Randwick 1100m course – a time that compares favourably to Whitefriars’s course record of 1min 2.2sec set two months ago. “He drops 4kg from his win last start,” Payne said.

“The horse has done very well during the week and I’m quietly confident about our chances.

“Electric Dreams will probably lead and Border Rebel will be up there so they should roll along which gives Cardinal Virtue his chance to finish the race off strongly.”

Payne also gave punters a strong push for $26 rank outsider Queenian against stablemate Snippets Of Glory ($9.50) in the Autumn Carnival On Sale Handicap (1000m).

“They are both nice two-year-olds but I think Queenian is the better chance,” Payne said.

“He is a little bit stronger than Snippets Of Glory.

“But Snippets Of Glory is coming along well and if he can win this race, I set him for the Magic Millions.”

Payne revealed Defiant Dame, the one-time Magic Millions favourite, is still spelling after injuring a back muscle when third to Karuta Queen in the Wyong Magic Millions.

“Defiant Dame must have hurt herself in the barriers because she didn’t stretch out that day,” Payne said. “But I’m confident we will still be able to get her ready for the Golden Slipper.”