Proxima Dea outstays rivals in Spring Champion Stakes

SYDNEY – Proxima Dea is certainly no oil painting but she has a growing army of admirers after maintaining her perfect race record in the A$2 million (S$1.8 million) Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2,000m) at Royal Randwick on Oct 24.

And her trainer David Payne is understandably the number one ticket-holder in the three-year-old filly’s fan club.

“I’ve had a lot of good fillies in my training career, but this one, she’s probably the ‘ugliest’ but she just might be the best,” said Payne.

“To look at her, you wouldn’t give much for her but she seems to have everything – guts, heart and class.

“To win five in a row in her first preparation, she keeps surprising me. She’s exceptional.”

The unbeaten Proxima Dea ($15) was ridden almost arrogantly by Sydney’s leading jockey Zac Lloyd before she raced away to win by 1½ lengths from favourite Global Goal (Dylan Gibbons) as the fillies filled the quinella.

Early leader Cormier (Kerrin McEvoy) finished another long head away in third.

Proxima Dea became only the fourth filly to beat the “boys” in the Spring Champion Stakes after Montefilia (2020), Maid Of Heaven (2018) and Yankee Rose (2016).

Payne, who has trained over 100 Group 1 winners during an outstanding career that began in South Africa and has spanned nearly six decades, said he told Lloyd to get the daughter of Tarzino into the race early.

“I said to Zac she will outstay them. We can’t have a sit and sprint,” he said.

“I told him if nothing goes, you go, get up outside the leader and go early on her. I said to Zac they won’t stay with her, she will just keep going.

“We know the further the better with this filly so she can go to the (Victoria Racing Club) Oaks now.

“The extra 500m won’t be a problem, she will love it and we can give her an easier ride.”

The Group 1 VRC Oaks (2,500m) will be run at Flemington on Nov 5.

Proxima Dea’s rapid emergence from maiden to a Group 1 winner in her debut preparation is a remarkable story.

She began her race career in July, winning on debut on a heavy track at Randwick.

Proxima Dea then scored two wins in August against older horses over 1,600m and 1,800m before being freshened up.

She took out the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1,800m) before giving Payne his third Spring Champion Stakes after Montefilia (2020) and Ace High (2017).

Lloyd was battling a heavy cold but was not about to miss the opportunity to ride Proxima Dea.

“To be fair after about 400m, I thought it was game over,” said Lloyd.

“I have a lot of faith in her. I knew how tough she was last start. When I got outside the lead pretty comfortably, I knew it was going to be awfully hard to get to her and then also get past her.

“The fact she was a length or two in front of her main rivals filled me with confidence because she was always going to be the strongest late.

“And that was her easiest win today and it was in a Group 1.

“She is a beauty, just tries her hardest. It’s so hard to do what she has done to win five in a row. The world is her oyster.”

Lloyd said it also gave him particular satisfaction to win a Group 1 race for Payne.

“My dad (Jeff) rode a lot for Mr Payne and they are great friends,” he said.

“It means a lot to win this race for him, he’s an incredible trainer.” SKY RACING WORLD