Sports · Other Sports · 2 hrs ago
Proxima Dea targets Spring Champion Stakes after four straight wins
Proxima Dea has won all four of her starts since David Payne took over training her.
The filly is set to race in Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick, a 2,000-metre contest for three-year-olds.
Payne, 78, said he initially thought she was too expensive when her owners asked him to buy her at a yearling sale.
The owners later asked him to train her after Ciaron Maher had taken her on, and Payne said she needed time to develop as a stayer.
A win would give Payne his first Group 1 victory since 2022; he has won this race twice before.
Proxima Dea is also favourite for the VRC Oaks at Flemington on November 5, her main target after Saturday’s race.
Proxima Dea is unbeaten in four starts and is being aimed at Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
The three-year-old filly is trained by David Payne, who said she had continued winning after taking time to develop.
She won the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes over 1800 metres at her most recent start.
Payne said the filly was bred to stay and should benefit from longer distances.
The Spring Champion Stakes is run over 2000 metres, and Proxima Dea was listed at $5 with TAB.
- Who
- Proxima Dea, trained by David Payne, and the ownership group Transtasman Breeders.
- What
- The unbeaten filly is targeting the Spring Champion Stakes after four straight wins.
- When
- The race is scheduled for Saturday; the article was published on October 22, 2026.
- Where
- Randwick, Sydney.
- Why
- Payne said Proxima Dea was bred to stay and should suit longer distances.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Ciaron Maher paid the $300,000 reserve for Proxima Dea, and took her on.
The owners asked David Payne to train the unraced filly.
Proxima Dea won all four of her starts.
She won the Group 3 Gloaming Stakes over 1800 metres.
Proxima Dea is set to contest the Spring Champion Stakes over 2000 metres at Randwick.
- Record
- Unbeaten in four starts
- Trainer
- David Payne
- Last-start win
- Group 3 Gloaming Stakes, 1800 metres
- Target race
- Spring Champion Stakes, 2000 metres, Randwick
- Sale reserve
- $300,000 at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale
What people are saying
horses, they make fools of you.
You just never know, with what goes around. It’s a funny game.
She’d bred to stay very well, so you would think the further, the better for her.