Soft Win for Guillotine

29th December 2007

David Payne’s much vaunted Derby hopeful Guillotine (3c Montjeu - Refused the Dance, by Defensive Play) was expected to win easily at Rosehill on Saturday and did just that, skipping away from his older rivals to win the 1900 metre restricted event by nearly six lengths.

Second at his first run back from an EI enforced spell, that saw him miss the Victoria Derby in the spring, Guillotine settled back in the field and when asked to go forward, responded in the manner of a rising star.

“I said I would like to give him one more run … a good kill because it wasn’t going to hurt him,” Payne said.

“He can go to the paddock for two to three weeks now. The AJC Derby is the race for him but if we can catch another one along the way it would be a bonus.”.

An eye-catching dark grey colt, in the mould of his famous Melbourne Cup winning half-brother Efficient, Guillotine has now won two races from five starts earning $81,800 in prizemoney for owners Les Samba and Ron Medich.

The son of leading sire Montjeu was secured by Samba for $300,000 from the draft of Curraghmore Stud at the 2006 NZB Premier Yearling Sale.

He is the fourth foal of stakes-placed Defensive Play mare Refused the Dance, a half-sister to stakes-winner Dancing Flojo from the imported American stakes-winner Florida Jig.