Michelle Payne has been actively involved not just in training duties alongside her brother Patrick, but also in launching a new initiative that helps redistribute surplus horse feed to farmers and livestock impacted by drought conditions.
The goodwill from that project could carry through to the track on Saturday as the training duo presents a strong team at Flemington, headlined by a promising two-year-old set to follow in the footsteps of a past stable star.
In 2020, Cherry Tortoni lit up the winter season by winning the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m). Now, Buccleuch carries the same red and white silks and is favoured at $1.85 to replicate that success after an eye-catching last start win.
“He’s a lovely horse that helps himself and at last start he stepped a little bit slow but Billy Egan was able to get him into a nice rhythm to hold the position he wanted to,” Michelle told RadioTAB.
“He went to sleep and when Billy asked him to take a gap and quicken, he was ready to do it.”
“They are the types of horse you want in your stable and he looks like he can progress.
It looks like a really nice race for him on Saturday and we are excited for the future with him.”
Buccleuch, by Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) winner Peltzer, appears to be the standout among the progeny of French-raced mare Golden Fastnet.
Despite carrying 59 kilograms this weekend, Payne is not worried due to the compressed weights scale used in mile races.
“He’s a big, strong two-year-old and we wouldn’t run him if we didn’t think he was capable of doing that,” she added.
Also in action for the stable is Jimmy The Bear, who lines up in the Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Final (1600m) after a dominant victory at Flemington last month.
“His last start win was exceptional and he dominated when he got the gap,” Payne said.
“He went to the line with ease and it was one of the best wins of his career. He’ll need to as he has some competition in that Final.”
The stable also presents Frontline Action and Silver Pledge in the Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m), with Silver Pledge coming off a Sandown win and Frontline Action poised to improve off a recent Flemington effort.
Betting markets are heating up for the Taj Rossi and Winter Championship Finals — check the best odds and bookmakers at Australian betting sites.