Could a new superstar mare have emerged on Saturday?
The David Payne-trained Montefilia proved to be a nightmare for favourite backers. She defied the odds to run away with the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill, showing great improvement to add to her top-level Metropolitan Handicap win last October.
Filly Strengthening Up
2021 Cup winner Verry Elleegant, successful in the Chipping Norton last time, was sent off at long odds-on. In the absence of English challenger Addeybb this year, she was seen as somewhat of a good thing.
In the end however, it was a powerful display by Montefilia. Overall, this was a fourth Group 1 win for the filly with David Payne intimating that she’s a changed horse.
Despite past successes, Payne suggests she is now a different filly. Looking stronger and showing that with her dominant, powerful performance, she’s a different kettle of fish this year and very much enters the Melbourne Cup reckoning now.
Cup Campaign All but Confirmed for Montefilia
Understandably delighted with her performance in the Ranvet, Payne has confirmed the Cup is on. The plan now appears to be for the team to take in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes next.
Verry Elleegant’s trainer Chris Waller had previously suggested his mare will go the same way. That means a potentially explosive rematch at Randwick on April 9. From there, it will be a case of prepping her for the Melbourne Cup on November 1 which has Payne very excited indeed.
Given Verry Elleegant’s position as Horse of the Year, Montefilia’s team is understandably excited about her Ranvet win. A beautiful run up the straight under jockey Jason Collett saw her pull nicely clear.
However, on just her second prep run it seems there is much more to come. David Payne thinks Montefilia will continue to get better and that is some prospect, even this far out from the Melbourne Cup.
The filly was a $130,000 buy from the Tyreel Stud draft in 2019. She was bought during the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. As of Saturday, she has now amassed $2.37 million in prize money.
Star Filly Now 18.00 with the TAB
As usual, another big Saturday afternoon has seen the odds shift again for the Melbourne Cup.
Montefilia’s classy performance means she is now an 18.00 shot with the TAB. That puts her alongside Profondo and just ahead of Godolphin’s Manobo.
Things are bound to change again one way or another after this coming weekend. Manobo is an odds-on shot to take the Dubai Gold Cup during Meydan’s World Cup night, and if he does his price will surely shrink too.
Despite respective defeats and injuries, Verry Elleegand and Incentivise remain at the head of the market, each at odds of 11.00 with still a long way to go.
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