The Anzac colours saluted early as Bangkok Hottie strolled home in the opener - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

David Payne’s opinion of Bangkok Hottie was reflected in his decision to run her first up in the Gr 3 Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick on April 4th. The filly did exactly what David expected her to do in a very competitive stakes race. Friendless at $81.00 in the market, Bangkok Hottie was taken back from a wide gate by Tom Sherry to be in front of only a couple at the 600m. She was pushed four or five deep on the corner and was fleetingly last of the ten runners as they came up the rise. Sherry had to steady the ship when Bangkok Hottie got the “wanders” for a few strides at the 200m, after which she started to stretch out. Her closing effort to wind up 5th, only 2.73 lengths from Blue Door didn’t escape the notice of keen observers.

Nobody was surprised when the filly was served up as a $2.25 favourite in a 2YO Fillies’ Maiden over 1200m at Warwick Farm eleven days later. She left the gates quickly for Zac Lloyd and immediately settled in the one out and one back spot behind Victorious Ruler and Capital Illusion. Lloyd got going halfway around the turn and Bangkok Hottie pounced on the leaders immediately after straightening. Trainer Payne was delighted to see her expend little energy in strolling home by 1.43 lengths. He was already thinking about the 1100m race at Randwick on Anzac Day.

Bangkok Hottie (Zac Lloyd) had plenty in reserve as she strolled home in a 2YO maiden at Warwick Farm 15/04/2026 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

With Zac Lloyd committed to five rides at Morphettville, Payne had the task of selecting a jockey he felt would suit his promising filly. He opted for the talented Ashley Morgan who’d won on Serpico for the stable at Gosford on April 9th. “Ash has ridden a number of winners for me over the last couple of years,” said David. “He’s patient and loves to get them travelling. He got on very well with the filly on Saturday and had them covered a fair way from home.”

Bangkok Hottie was one of many horses to carry the special Anzac colours at Australian race meetings on Saturday. In most cases horses carrying the number 1 saddle cloth in all races at designated meetings carried the khaki silks with the large Anzac rising sun logo and khaki cap. For whatever reason Bangkok Hottie carried the special colours despite being number 2 in field order. She flew the gates which has become her custom and quickly found a cosy spot. At the 600m Shalash and Extremely Tempted were joint leaders with Lady Catalina stalking them. Bangkok Hottie was fourth outside Dominator while well fancied I Am Dirty was posted three wide. Keen To Exceed was awkwardly placed between horses.

Ash Morgan was unperturbed when Lady Catalina nudged Bangkok Hottie four deep on the turn and it wasn’t hard to see why. He allowed the $3.90 favourite to “coast” up the rise before putting his foot down at the 200m. The Payne trained filly showed a sparkling turn of foot to put the opposition away in a few strides. Bangkok Hottie was being eased down on the line to win by more than two lengths from late closing Keen To Exceed with Extremely Tempted third after a pretty tough run.

Bangkok Hottie (Ash Morgan) was fully focused on the job as she careered away to win at Randwick on Saturday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

“Ash Morgan had some nice things to say as he unsaddled the filly,” said David. “He was adamant she’ll make a lovely three year old next preparation. I told owner breeder John Thompson she had the X factor from the time she first came into work. Mind you she was a young lady in a hurry early days and we had to concentrate on getting her to settle. I remember we worked her behind other horses for many weeks without even pulling her out. She slowly got the message and gave all of that nonsense away. Look at her now. She’s a push button job who flies the gate, settles in her races and can really dash. She’ll go straight to the paddock now before being aimed at the Princess Series in the spring beginning with the Silver Shadow Stakes in August.”

Owner/breeder John Thompson - Bangkok Hottie's owner and strong supporter of the Payne stable - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.

In an era of mind boggling yearling prices, it’s refreshing to see a good old fashioned “homebred” winning races at Royal Randwick. New Zealand born owner John Thompson has long nurtured a passion for breeding his own stock and takes great pride in racing his horses in colours symbolising the national identity of his native NZ. For many years the Thompson horses have raced in a black jacket with a prominent grey fern logo front and back, and a grey cap. These were the colours carried by John’s all time favourite Diatribe, winner of five races in the late 90’s and early 2000’s for legendary trainer George Hanlon. Those wins included a Gr 2 Stutt Stakes, Gr 2 Aami Vase, Gr 1 Rosehill Guineas and famously the 2000 Gr 1 Caulfield Cup after which he finished a distant second to the rampaging Sunline in the Cox Plate.

Another “fun horse” to carry the fern leaf silks was the tough, grey staying mare Lahar who retired with a record of 41 starts for 5 wins and 14 placings. Her wins included a Kembla Grange Cup and a black type Xmas Cup, but some of her placings brought far more kudos. She was second in the 1999 Gr 3 Chairman’s Hcp, and third in the Gr 1 Sydney Cup to Tie the Knot and Praise Indeed. Just weeks later she beat all but Intergaze in the Doomben Cup.

Lahar is best remembered for her dead heat for third with Zazabelle in the 1999 Melbourne Cup behind Rogan Josh and UK visitor Central Park. Coincidentally David Payne is currently training a two year old Victor Ludorum gelding whose third dam happens to be Lahar. “John fittingly called him Another Lahar. He’s only a little fellow and has taken a while to put it all together,” said the trainer. ‘We’ll give him a start in around a fortnight to see where we’re at, but he’ll probably need a bit more time. That’s what you’d expect from a young horse whose third dam was a Melbourne Cup placegetter.”

Diatribe (Greg Hall) carried the Thompson colours with distinction in winning the Aami Vase on Cox Plate day 1999 - courtesy Steve Hart Photograhics.

John Thompson was happy to add Bangkok to his broodmare band when her racing career finished in 2020. The daughter of Medaglia D’Oro was no Lahar, but put together a respectable little CV which embraced 35 starts for 7 wins, a whopping 12 placings and $408,000 in prize money. Two of her wins were at Randwick with another at Rosehill. Importantly she was twice placed at Gr 3 level which prompted John to try her in the breeding barn. Her first foal is unraced, the second is Bangkok Hottie a daughter of the celebrated Too Darn Hot. This son of Dubawi is doing some amazing things in two hemispheres and has been touted by some experts as the “next big thing” in global breeding circles.

“I’m delighted to see John with a potential top class filly going forward,” said David. “We’ve already had some success together with the genuine Navajo Peak the best of them so far. He won a maiden for Allan Denham and another five for us following Allan’s retirement in 2022. He won three at Randwick including the Gr 2 Chelmsford Stakes in which he beat top horses like Major Beel and Think It Over. He also won a race at Doomben with Ben Thompson in the saddle. He was as tough and genuine as they come and loved a heavy track. John had a lot of fun with the old warrior.”

A vigorous Chad Schofield gets Navajo Peak home in the 2023 Chelmsford Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

A tough barrier draw prompted the astute trainer to scratch Shohisha from Saturday’s 1st AIF Hcp at Randwick in favour of the Gr 3 Hawkesbury Cup at the club’s stand alone meeting on May 2nd. “This mare’s last three runs have all been outstanding,” said Payne. “She was 4th only 1.64 lengths behind Verona Rose in the Gr 2 Guy Walter, she finished 7th just over 3 lengths from Lazzura in the GR 1 Coolmore Classic and 5th beaten 2.38 lengths by Idle Flyer in the Gr 2 Emancipation. The Hawkesbury Cup is a great option provided she draws a gate.”

Another member of David’s twenty horse team to show plenty of promise to date is three year old Flying Artie gelding Clanwilliam. He was resuming after a six months absence when beaten narrowly in a Midway Maiden at Newcastle on April 23rd. “Kerrin McEvoy gave him a good ride and he looked the winner in the straight before being grabbed by Lawless Lucy in the last couple of bounds,” said the trainer. “He ran three good races last year before we discovered he’d developed a breathing problem. He had the tie-back procedure and we decided on a long spell. Fitness probably cost him a win at Newcastle, but he won’t be long getting his name on the board. I like the horse a lot.”

BANGKOK HOTTIE SCORCHES THE TURF AT RANDWICK

UNIQUE AMBITION BLOWS ‘EM AWAY IN THE MIDWAY