Sent to the front early by jockey Tye Angland the well bred son of High Chaparral showed great fight to shrug away from rivals on the corner and then hold out all challengers down the straight for a tough win.
It was the second straight group success for the exciting staying prospect. He was sent out favourite in today’s feature after winning the Gloaming Stakes at his previous run.
For David Payne, who purchased Ace High for $130,000 from Bell River Thoroughbreds at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, the Victoria Derby is now his main aim.”I think he is going to be a better horse when he can follow something but today we had to make it a staying race. We always thought he was going to be up there. It’s just circumstances that has worked out this way. There was no pace in the race.”
“Definitely a (Victorian) Derby horse. That is when you can give him a bit of a breather. I will speak to the owner and see how we go.
“I’m keen on the Derby. I had Criterion, Praecido and Honorius and they all ran well. He is the best of them. Well I don’t know better than Criterion, but he’s a good stayer. Criterion was more brilliant. His brilliance got him the trip. He was more of a miler.”
“We always liked him. He was a big strong horse. I said when he was a baby this was my Derby horse,” Payne added.
For Tye Angland the win was a great reward after he stuck with Ace High despite today’s race falling on the same day as his brother’s wedding.
“We had a great run so I thought I would make it a real staying test,” Angland said.
Ace High is owned by John Cordina’s Summertime Thoroughbreds and is now a three time winning from just 11 starts and his earnings have raced to almost $500,000.
Cordina had inspected Ace High with Payne at last year’s Gold Coast Yearling Sale and liked what he saw. He went back to re-inspect him a few other times. When Payne purchased the colt Cordina immediately snapped him up.
He is one of two winners for the unraced Redoute’s Choice mare Come Sunday – a three quarter sister to stakes galloper Rezyana and half sister to stakes winners Kneeling and That’s a Good Idea.
Winner: Ace High
Breeding: High Chaparral-Come Sunday (Redoute’s Choice)
Race: ATC Spring Champion Stakes G1 (2000m)
Sold for: $130,000
Sale: 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Bell River Thoroughbreds
Buyer: Payne Racing
Earnings: $498,375
Owner(s): Summertime Thoroughbreds (Mgr: J Cordina)
Trainer: David Payne (Rosehill)
