David Payne gelding can outfox rivals in the Starlight Stakes

David Payne will bid to capitalise on Fox Fighter’s affinity for his home track when he starts the consistent sprinter in the Listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill.

The five-year-old has raced at the circuit seven times for six top-three finishes, including a brace of wins.

It is a statistic that isn’t lost on Payne, who believes Fox Fighter can be to the fore when he tackles Saturday’s 1100-metre contest second-up.

“A lot of people don’t do their homework, but he always runs well here, and he would have needed that first run because he’d had a good spell,” Payne said.

“I’m happy with him and he will run well.”

Fox Fighter finished third to Zethus in the corresponding race last year and heads to Saturday’s renewal off the back of a solid fifth behind Hard To Say at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.

Payne saw enough merit in that performance to be satisfied the horse had returned as well as ever this campaign.

“I was happy with that run. He was running on strongly again and if there is speed in the race on Saturday, he will be finishing off,” he said.

A field of 10 has been paid up for the Starlight Stakes (1100m) with half of the runners, including topweight Malkovich, resuming, while Quick Tempo and Dragonstone back up from last weekend’s The Warra where they finished second and fourth respectively.

Rosehill was rated a soft 7 on Wednesday but with a revised forecast for fine conditions on Friday and Saturday, Payne said he expected an improving surface.

“He can handle a track like that, but I doubt it will be a soft seven come Saturday,” Payne said.

“I don’t think it will be wet, I think it will be a good track.”