Kiwi bred trainer Paddy Payne, is delighted to discuss horses coming from his homeland into Australia especially after the recent Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Just two years ago a group of New Zealand owners bought local galloper, Justacanta, through an online sale and managed to successfully purchase the gelding for $6,000.

It’s been, to say the least, a small coup for this group of connections after this year’s spring Carnival.

As Justacanta’s former trainer said that the horse had thrilled the owners with his Australian efforts.

“I got him to group two level and we decided following the outbreak of COVID and the uncertainty surrounding racing in this country that we would send him to Paddy Payne. Basically we’ve had success with him in the past and we were proved right again,” trainer Shaun Clotworthy said.

And Payne was pleasantly surprised at the manner in which the seven-year-old adapted to his new surroundings. 

“Well, I knew we got him going pretty quickly but to win a group two race at Flemington over the Carnival was pushing the envelope a bit too far. But he did only by the narrowest of margins but is now a major race winner in the spring of 2021,” Payne said.

Payne and his 10 siblings were born in New Zealand and migrated to Australia in the late 1970s when his father, Paddy senior, sold his outstanding racehorse, Our Paddy Boy, which realised enough money for the family to settle in Ballarat with a block of stables and a dairy farm 80 kms out of town.

It would be fair to say that in racing terms the Payne family have had more of an impact on Australian racing than any other family in memory.

A majority of the daughters were all jockeys and achieved great success including a Melbourne Cup.  

Paddy Payne junior himself is a noted jockey gaining worldwide acclaim in Europe and Asia and since turning to training has become one of the most revered horsemen in Australia for decades.

This weekend, as the spring carnival slows down, racing will return to the Payne’s family home where his father at 86 is still training racehorses, the spotlight will fall on the Ballarat racecourse for their $500,000 Cup.

And Payne is naturally keen to gather success at Ballarat and will have two runners in the 2,000-metre race, Defibrillate and Double You Tee.

Defibrillate, who started the spring carnival well has been kept in reserve by Payne in a bid to be ready for the end of the carnival races.  

“He’s another example of an ex Kiwi horse that we got, nurtured and looked after and he’s paying dividends for giving him that time during his early years. In fact, all he’s done is improve and improve.  We had him in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, but those races proved a little beyond him,” Payne said.

And Payne’s other runner, Double You Tee, was sourced from Tasmania and followed a similar path to Defibrillate during his career. 

“They’re both excellent chances because this grade of horse will suit,” he said.

And the bargain price purchase, Justacanta will head to Kilmore for the $160,000 Kilmore Cup as the horse searches for a third win from six starts in Australia.

“I’ve got to say, tell all New Zealand owners I love their horse and send more if you can because Justacanta has been a revelation. I scratched him at Cranbourne because I thought with the heavy rain on the day would hinder his chances so I’ll wait for Kilmore and I’m sure that will suit.

“All three horses could enhance their prize money levels considerably next weekend and I hope more Kiwi horses can take their place in time to come,” Payne said with a smile.