David Payne welcomes mellow State Of America

David Payne’s State Of America is proving a worthy flagbearer for the stable, though the five-year-old had to overcome a rocky beginning to get there.

Originally a headstrong and difficult runner, State Of America has since matured into a reliable and lucrative competitor.

“He used to be a really difficult horse,” Payne said.

“If you look at his first run, Willie Pike rode him and he nearly ran off the track. He has come a long way and the penny has dropped. He has become sensible.”

That transformation has delivered nearly half a million dollars in prize money, along with four wins from his last seven appearances — the most recent at Hawkesbury over the mile.

He steps up to 1800m this weekend in the Tom Bingle Handicap at Randwick, a trip Payne believes suits him.

“He has come back well and he’s looking a picture. He will be competitive again,” Payne said.

“As long as it’s not a heavy 10 or something, it shouldn’t worry him. He enjoys that little bit of give in the track and he tends to hold form once he finds it too.”

The gelding ended his summer campaign with a solid fifth in the ATC Cup (2000m) and is on course for more feature races this prep, including the Scone Cup (1600m) in mid-May.

“I will look at all those races. You can’t hide him now, you’ve got to go that way,” he said.

“We will look at the Scone Cup. He probably wouldn’t go to Brisbane, I don’t know if he’d be a traveller. He is a bit of a worrier but we will see how he shapes up.”

Stablemate Trafalgar Square also heads to Randwick for the Neville Waters Handicap (1200m), and Payne expects marked improvement with a lighter weight and drop in class.

“She has run in some good company and now that she is down in grade with a light weight, it gives her a bit of a chance,” Payne said.