Proxima Dea, far from being a classic beauty, is accumulating a dedicated following after she maintained her unblemished record in the Group 1 $2 million Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick today.
Her trainer, the highly skilled David Payne, is undoubtedly her most ardent supporter.
“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,” Payne remarked.
“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 undefeated Proxima Dea ($3.70 favourite) was ridden with exceptional confidence by Sydney’s leading jockey Zac Lloyd, before she surged clear to win by one-and-a-half lengths from Global Goal ($2.80 favourite). The fillies secured the quinella, with the early leader Cormier ($16) finishing a long head away in third.
Proxima Dea has now joined an elite club, becoming only the fourth filly to defeat the colts in the Spring Champion Stakes, following the examples of Montefilia (2020), Maid Of Heaven (2018), and Yankee Rose (2016).
Payne, a trainer with more than 100 Group 1 wins to his credit during an outstanding career that began in South Africa and has spanned nearly six decades, instructed Lloyd to ensure Proxima Dea was positioned prominently.
“I said to Zac she will outstay them, we can’t have a sit and sprint,” Payne advised.
“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 Oaks now.
“The extra 500m won’t be a problem, she will love it and we can give her an easier ride.”
This victory marked the third Spring Champion Stakes win for Payne, adding to his previous successes with Montefilia (2020) and Ace High (2017).
When asked to compare Proxima Dea with Montefilia, Payne stated: “This filly keeps surprising me.”
“This filly keeps surprising me.”
“Montefilia was a good filly but I think she (Proxima Dea) stays better than Montefilia,” he commented.
Despite battling a significant head cold, Lloyd was not prepared to miss the opportunity to ride Proxima Dea.
“To be fair after about 400m I thought it was game over,” Lloyd confessed.
“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.”
Proxima Dea’s rapid rise from a maiden galloper to a Group 1 winner in her debut preparation represents a remarkable narrative.
Her racing debut occurred in July, resulting in a win on a heavy track at Randwick. She then achieved two victories in August against more experienced horses before being given a spell. Subsequently, she triumphed in the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes, setting the stage for Payne’s third Spring Champion Stakes triumph, following Montefilia (2020) and Ace High (2017).
“And that was her easiest win today and it was in a Group 1,” Lloyd enthused.
“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 also conveyed his personal satisfaction in securing a Group 1 victory for Payne.
“My Dad (Jeff) rode a lot for Mr Payne and they are great friends,” Lloyd shared.
“It means a lot to win this race for him, he’s an incredible trainer.”
Jockey Dylan Gibbons offered no excuses for the valiant second placing of Flight Stakes heroine and favourite Global Goal.
“She couldn’t have gone any better. She left her heart out there at the 100m but the winner was just too good on the day,” Gibbons concluded.
Cormier, who attempted to lead from the outset, demonstrated considerable determination to finish third, according to jockey Kerrin McEvoy.
“He was really good, he ran out the trip well for the first time,” McEvoy stated. “He feels as though he will stay further.”
Betting markets are now open for the Spring Champion Stakes at these betting sites.
