Proxima Dea took her unbeaten record to five with a dominant performance in the $2 million three-year-old feature over 2000 metres. Under jockey Zac Lloyd, she pushed to sit outside the leader from the outside gate before going for home on the home bend, a tactic that paid off as she fended off Flight Stakes winner Global Goal by a length and a half, with Cormier third.
The win was Payne’s third in the Spring Champion Stakes, following Montefilia in 2020 and Ace High in 2017. The 78-year-old trainer, a champion in South Africa before moving to Sydney in 2002, said the filly continued to surprise him.
“To look at her, you wouldn’t give much for her, but geez, she seems to have everything. She’s got guts and heart,” Payne said. “She’ll love [the Oaks], and you can give her a bit of an easier ride.”
Proxima Dea, a full sister to Queensland Oaks winner Gypsy Goddess, was unwanted with a $300,000 reserve at yearling sales and retained by her breeders. Payne said she was still immature and exceptional for her age. Lloyd, who battled illness to ride on a warm day, earlier won the Highway Handicap on Ocean Tsunami.
In other races at Randwick, the Chris Waller-trained Central Europe broke through at his seventh start with a 3¼-length win in the Group 3 Callander-Presnell over 1600 metres. The Frankel colt came from second last down the outside under Jason Collett. Waller representative Darren Beadman said a Sandown Guineas could be next before a tilt at the autumn carnival. In the Kirkham Plate for two-year-olds, Waller’s Exo Velocity caused an upset on debut, coming from last under Kerrin McEvoy to edge out stablemate Tour De Force by a long neck. The Zoustar yearling is the first foal out of Exo Lady and may target the Magic Millions carnival in January.