Tuesday, 26 August 2008: Rosehill trainer David Payne is confident of playing a big hand in Saturday's $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill with three high class runners.
 | Stripper
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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However he has surprised by naming the filly Stripper as his leading contender over his good colts Baci Amore and Emperor Bonaparte.
Payne has given a strong lead to Stripper's chances of winning the Golden Rose first-up from a spell by giving the mount to his stable jockey Jeff Lloyd.
Glyn Schofield will replace Lloyd on Emperor Bonaparte while Nash Rawiller takes over from Corey Brown on Baci Amore.
Emperor Bonaparte and Baci Amore produced excellent Golden Rose trials when they finished third and fourth behind Desuetude and Maybe I in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill on August 16.
However Payne is bullish about Stripper's prospects of making it a fillies double in the Golden Rose after Forensics won the EI-delayed running of last season's million dollar race.
Stripper 
has not raced since the autumn when she was forced out of the Golden Slipper Stakes on the eve of the race by a foot abscess after winning the Sweet Embrace Stakes at Rosehill.
Stripper beat Glowlamp and subsequent Group One winner Samantha Miss in the Sweet Embrace and that form carried through to last Saturday at Warwick Farm when they ran first and second in the Silver Shadow Stakes.
Stripper raced only four times last season for two wins and two seconds, attaining
Timeform rating of 113 that placed her in the top 20 two-year-olds of the year.
Payne has given Stripper two barrier trials and has no doubt she is ready to perform first-up over 1400m.
“Stripper is my best chance. She's had two barrier trials and I'm confident she is ready for a 1400 metre race," Payne said.
"She is a very good filly.”
Payne said Stripper will go on to the Tea Rose Stakes and Flight Stakes after the Golden Rose where she will be facing old rivals Samantha Miss and Glowlamp.
$1 million GOLDEN ROSE 1400m 3YOS Run Saturday Tab No. | Horse | Weight | Barrier | Trainer | Probable Rider | 1. | DESUETUDE | 55.5 | 7 | PETER SNOWDEN | DANNY NIKOLIC | 2. | ALL AMERICAN | 55.5 | 4 | DAVID HAYES | COREY BROWN | 3. | BACI AMORE | 55.5 | 12 | DAVID PAYNE | NASH RAWILLER | 4. | DUPORTH | 55.5 | 1 | ANTHONY CUMMINGS | HUGH BOWMAN | 5. | RHYNO CHASER | 55.5 | 11 | KEVIN MOSES | 6. | TEARS 'N' CHEERS | 55.5 | 14 | ALAN BAILEY | GLEN COLLESS | 7. | OUTDO | 55.5 | 10 | STEVE RICHARDS | JIM CASSIDY | 8. | EMPEROR BONAPARTE (NZ) | 55.5 | 13 | DAVID PAYNE | GLYN SCHOFIELD | 9. | SUFFICIENT (NZ) | 55.5 | 5 | BRUCE WALLACE | GRANT COOKSLEY | 10. | CHASTELAIN | 55.5 | 9 | JOHN HAWKES | 11. | ROYAL STRIKER (NZ) | 55.5 | 3 | BART CUMMINGS | 12. | STRIPPER | 53.5 | 8 | DAVID PAYNE | JEFF LLOYD | 13. | MAYBE I | 53.5 | 6 | GAI WATERHOUSE | GLEN BOSS | 14. | INDIRECT | 53.5 | 2 | BART CUMMINGS | PETER ROBL |
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