On face value Patrick Payne was surprised Defibrillate (NZ) (Shocking) was able to win the Lord Stakes second-up last start but he wasn’t completely shocked as he has a big opinion of the stayer.
“It was a surprise as he was out of his handicap grade and on weights he wasn’t well placed,” Payne said.
Payne told Tahlia Hope to ride Defibrillate patiently and save him up for one run in the Listed Lord Stakes (1700 metres) at Caulfield on Boxing Day and this tactic paid off.
“He was a $20 to $30 chance so I told Tahlia she could ride for luck which she did and the breaks went our way,” he said.
Payne though said in terms of Defibrillate’s potential the victory didn’t come as a shock.
“He’s no spud. He he’s a really nice horse who has won six out of ten races. I’ve always really liked him,” he said.
The other impressive aspect of the win was that Defibrillate recorded the fastest last 200 metres of the meeting coming home in 11.11 seconds.
The former New Zealander will be attempting to make it back to back wins at Flemington on Saturday in the Open Handicap over 2000 metres.
“We’ll do the same and ride him quietly. He should be suited by the extra distance and he likes Flemington,” he said.
Payne said that his other stable rider Billy Egan would ride Defibrillate as he was his usual rider but was unavailable last start.
Payne is targeting the Adelaide Cup (3200m) on March 8 with the son of Shocking.
Hope will ride Double You Tee who Payne is aiming at the Hobart Cup and the Launceston Cup in February.
“He’s going okay but I think he’s rated up to his best. I think he will need the run,” he said.
Payne also has two other good chances in at Flemington which are Miss Divine Em and Ididitforlove.
Payne said he had placed the cross-over noseband on Ididitforlove to help him breathe better in the run and he believes he has a great winning chance in the Benchmark 70 over 1100m.
The Rockbank trainer said he thought Miss Divine Em was a place chance in the 1100m Benchmark 70 for three-year-old fillies.
A winner of two races in New Zealand from the stable of co-owner Graeme Richardson, Defibrillate made his Australian debut fourteen months ago for Victorian trainer Patrick Payne, he has now won four of his seven Australian starts.
