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Payne hoping for a Jericho berth with Privileged Son

<div class="raw-html-embed">Plumpton based trainer Patrick Payne is hoping for a top two finish with Privileged Son on Friday night in the 3800-metre Jericho Cup Qualifier at The Valley. 
 
The son of 2004 W.S. Cox Plate winner Savabeel was an impressive winner of the MGI Golf Handicap (3000m) two starts ago at The Valley, and will go into Friday night’s qualifying race as one of the main chances, with a desired top two finish in the race securing him a start in the Jericho Cup (4600m) on Sunday 1 December at Warrnambool. 
 
Privileged Son was ridden to perfection last start by Michael Dee, narrowly getting the better of the favourite Muktamil and claiming his fourth win since switching from Andrew Forsman to the Payne stable. 
 
“I think we got a little bit lucky the rain came before the race,” Patrick said. 
 
“It provided a bit of juice in the ground which suited this horse, and Micky Dee just gave him a peach of a ride. 
 
“He chimed in at the right time, and he was very strong the last 50-75 metres of the race, so it suggested he’s a chance to be a Jericho Cup horse.” 
 
Now a six-year-old gelding who has some experienced some “wear and tear”, Payne says Privileged Son has thrived in his new environment since coming across from New Zealand. 
 
“A horse like Privileged Son, he’s an older horse and it really suits him to work on the heavy sand. 
 
“We’ve tried to replicate the sand dune tracks at Warrnambool. We can’t do exactly the same, but he definitely helps him and helps horses with the longevity of their careers.” 
 
With the conditions of Friday night’s race being a highweights race, Privileged Son will shoulder 70kg on his back and get Chris McCarthy in the saddle, winner of the 2023 Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool aboard Rockstar Ronnie.
McCarthy will be hoping to team up with the Payne stable for more Warrnambool success this year, and it could come aboard Privileged Son should Friday night’s run warrant a start in the $300,000 race. 
 
Payne commended the concept of the Jericho Cup, which provides a long-distance staying feature for Australian and New Zealand bred thoroughbreds, which was based on a race meeting held with Australian Light Horse during the first world war. 
 
“I just love the idea of it (the Jericho Cup) and the history behind it,” Payne said. 
 
“I was so naïve to what happened in Jericho, and it’s got a lot of the staff here reading the Bill The Bastard book, and we would have been oblivious to it had we not known about the Jericho Cup.” 
 
Patrick was recently joined by sister Michelle Payne to form a training partnership, with the 2015 Melbourne Cup winning rider adding another element to the already successful business. 
 
Patrick joked during the week, “we just thought we’d get her working in the background and I can be the pretty person up the front. 
 
“She’s got some really good ideas, and it just works out well. We’ve all got strengths and weaknesses. I like working in the trenches and she likes the other stuff. 
 
“She’s very good with the owner liaison. She’s aware that I put in a lot of time and effort in the background, and she can put a lot of time and effort in the foreground.” 

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