Racing: Payne happy before Derby

Victorian trainer Patrick Payne's hopes of winning the Queensland Derby soared when Victorian stayer Fieldmaster scored a commanding victory at Doomben yesterday.

Fieldmaster was only unloaded from his flight from Melbourne and spent a few hours resting at Pat Duff's stables at Deagon, on Brisbane's northern outskirts, before he was back on a float for the short journey to Doomben.

The 3-year-old, who was ridden by Danny Brereton, circled the field from last to score by 1 lengths in the www.brc.com.au Handicap (2240m).

Fieldmaster was bought as a tried horse in New Zealand by Payne's client Josh Xipell after having two starts.

"Josh asked me if I could buy him a yearling. He wasn't interested in buying a tried horse until we saw him," Payne said.

"I owe a lot to his former trainer, Adrian Bull, who was setting him for the Queensland Derby before I got him."

Brereton gave Payne a glowing report and extra cause for confidence for the Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week.

"He relaxed and settled quite well and went to sleep before we went around them," Brereton said.

"He was always on the right leg."

Payne will prepare Fieldmaster, who looks set to just scrape into the Queensland Derby field, at his sister Bernadette's property at Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales.

"I was hoping he would run like that but I was a little worried how much the trip would take out of him," he said.

"He's foolproof and has got a bit of arrogance about him as we discovered at Caulfield last start."

The son of Black Minnaloushe confirmed his Queensland trip following his last-start second to the Peter Moody-trained Star Scream in a 2000m race for 3-year-olds at Caulfield late last month.

- AAP