In almost identical fashion to her Flight win, the 3-year-old filly came from back in the field and looked to be caught for a run but Jason Collett managed to angle her out and she used her impressive turn of foot to run home Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) and win by 0.8l.
Regally-bred colt Bucharest (Deep Impact {Jpn}) added a valuable Group 1 placing to his CV as he finished 3.8l away in third.
Montefilia is the first filly to win the Spring Champion since Yankee Rose (All American) in 2016 and the first horse to ever win the staying feature and the Flight S.
Trainer David Payne was thrilled with the win but believes she still has plenty of improvement left to come.
“She is good and will be even better next year,” Payne said. “If you look at her she is quite a lean filly. It’s exciting.
“She is good and will be even better next year." - David Payne
“She got a little bit held up there but it all worked out well there.
“If you see her getting off the float you’d think she was flat as a pancake. She just stood there with her head down. She is a trainer’s dream.”
Montefilia has long been the favourite for the G1 VRC Oaks and Payne said he will wait to decide whether she heads there next.
“I will have a look at the race in Melbourne,” the trainer said. “You have to look at it.
“She has only had seven runs now but we’ll see how she is in a couple of days as we will be taking on the fillies again. I feel she will be better over 2500 metres.”
David Payne and Jason Collett
A star
Collett credited Payne and his team for keeping the filly in good order and said he was confident in her chances heading into the race.
“She’s a star,” the jockey said. “Credit to David Payne and his team to get here in top shape, I galloped her Thursday morning and I left there pretty excited.
“Everything panned out perfectly, I got the barrier to suit, it was just a matter of getting her into the clear at the right time.
“There is expectation there to get the result when you are riding the favourite, so it was great to just get the result.”
Montefilia was originally purchased as a weanling by Baystone Farm for $62,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale from the draft of Tyreel Stud before being again offered under the Tyreel Stud banner at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where she was purchased by Payne Racing for $130,000.
She is the third winner from four to race out of Bana Wu (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) who herself was placed at stakes level in the UK three times. Her second dam is Ausherra (USA) (Diesis {GB}), who is also responsible for dual Group 2 winner and the G1 Dewhurst S.-placed Strategic Prince (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
Bana Wu has a 2-year-old filly by Arrowfield shuttler Shalaa (Ire), who was purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing for $160,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, while she has a yearling colt by Ribchester (Ire).
