J-Mac seeks and secures Pierro Plate ride, Payne hits back at ‘test pilot’ jibe

Rosehill trainer David Payne has been able to snare James McDonald to ride two-year-old Persian Wonder in the Pierro Plate at Randwick on Saturday.

The champion jockey surprisingly didn’t have a ride in the 1100m contest but hadn’t missed Persian Wonder’s last start in the Canonbury Stakes, where he was only 3-3/4 lengths from the Golden Slipper favourite Hidrix.

“He is looking for a lot further than Saturday, but he has to learn to race,” Payne said.

“He is going to be at his best at a mile later in the year. He’s a nice horse.”

“James didn’t have a ride and rang up. He had obviously seen he ran the same sectionals as the winner last start.”

McDonald takes over on the $18 outsider from Group 1 winning jockey Ash Morgan, and it has led to an unflattering comment on the TAB site, supplied by Racing and Sports.

“Test pilot off; expecting sharp improvement,” it read.

Payne when told of the comment said; “that’s a bit unprofessional”.

Racing and Sports supply comments to a number of other bookmakers as a paid service.