The boutique setup of David Payne consistently uncovers Group 1 quality, and he’s counting on two-year-old Persian Wonder to uphold that tradition.

This talented youngster enters Saturday’s Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, chasing a breakthrough elite win after a string of solid efforts, the latest a near-miss second to Southend in Rosehill’s Baillieu (1400m) last month.

South Africa native Payne has guided more than 100 Group 1 winners around the globe, fine-tuning local stars like Criterion, Ace High and Montefilia.

Undersized and budget-constrained, his yard still delivers outsized results.

The down-to-earth horseman blames luck often, but his yearling scouting prowess shines through.

“I have been in the game a long time and I’ve been lucky with buying horses,” Payne said.

“But you’ve got to find the horse first. We buy maybe ten at the sales, other stables might buy 250. But we always find one, and we’ve got a couple there at the moment.”

Pairing with Bangkok Hottie, who dominated at Warwick Farm on Wednesday before a spell for spring’s Princess Series, Persian Wonder promises to spearhead the stable’s prospects.

His wide post at Randwick poses issues, though he handles off-pace rides effectively, which Payne will deploy again.

Last time, racing prominently for James McDonald, the no-win result still offered lessons Payne approved of.

“It was a good run. I thought he might have been a bit too handy, but it’s good that James taught him to get out of the gates,” he said.

“It’s a tough race on Saturday so we’ll ride him quiet and see what happens.

“We have been aiming him at this for a while, so we’ll see if he’s good enough.”

Bound to Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Campione D’italia, McDonald steps aside, allowing Chad Schofield to reclaim the ride on Persian Wonder post his bold fourth in the Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) March 14.

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