Delayed 50th birthday celebrations for Patrick Payne will involve some extra cheer after a race-to-race double at Caulfield.
Brother and sister training partners Patrick and Michelle Payne joined with Billy Egan to score with stable favourite Jimmy The Bear in the VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m) before Stop The Rock took out the Sportsbet Same Race Multi Handicap (2000m) on Saturday.
Jimmy The Bear was on the quick back-up from winning the Listed Winter Championship Final (1600m) at Flemington last week and was sent out the $1.70 betting site favourite in scoring a three-quarter length victory.
Michelle Payne said it was as nice a watch as you could hope for as the race panned out perfectly.
“Billy was in a beautiful spot, settled, and the speed was nice and steady which helped him run out the 2000 metres,” Payne said.
“He was racing on his own which allowed him to switch off and then he got the beautiful cart up and then he had every possible hope from there.”
Rising seven-year-old Jimmy The Beat registered his 12th win and took his prize money to beyond $1.37 million with the victory.
Payne said her brother bases his training around the longevity of his horses.
“He really wants them to find the line and continue to have that spirit to race and Jimmy is a prime example of that,” Payne said.
“He had a horse Widgee Turf who was very similar. He was a $5000 purchase and won a lot of these VOBIS Gold races.
“It’s a tough game and a lot of money goes into it with the owners and everything, but all we can hope for is delivering the best we can for the owners of these horses, so they can enjoy it.”
Stop The Rock registered his fourth win from five career starts with a weaving run in the straight.
Unlike Jimmy The Bear who had an uninterrupted passage, Payne thought Stop The Rock’s race has been done and dusted early.
“When I was watching Billy and Stop The Rock down the back straight, I thought that might be his race done,” Payne said.
“He was very tight against the rail, and he checked which disrupted his rhythm, so to overcome that, for a young horse, it was a good effort.
“Patrick really liked him as a young horse but was waiting for him to come into his own.
“He turns up race day, is no fuss, and gets the job done and is becoming another stable favourite.”
