Carnegie Express Has New Trainer

Carnegie Express has been taken from the barn of Gai Waterhouse and transferred to the care of David Payne, the South African conditioner who relocated to Sydney, Australia earlier this year.

The high profile son of Darley's Carnegie is a million-dollar (Australian funds) earner in winning six from eight starts plus a subsequent and controversial second to $3.6 million (New Zealand funds) colt Don Eduardo in the Australian Derby (Aust-I) on March 30.

Carnegie Express was overhauled near the wire and beaten a head, after Jim Cassidy set the colt alight with more than 600 of the 2,400 meters still to run. Waterhouse defended Cassidy's tearaway tactics.

The 4-year-old started his quest of the major spring races on Aug. 24 with a smooth fifth in the unsuitably short 1,400-meters Warwick Stakes (Aust-II), in which Dehere colt Defier upset 2-7 elect Lonhro.

Paul Burn, the managing part-owner of Carnegie Express declined comment beyond saying that a majority of the colt's seven owners voted to move the horse. "We then went through the same process to decide on a new trainer."

From his sire's first southern crop, Carnegie Express cost $45,000 as a yearling, 75% of the fee Carnegie commanded after his move from Trelawney Stud to Darley's temporary Australian base in the Hunter Valley. At $60,000 the book full sign went up early in August.

Waterhouse took the colt from a maiden win in the provincial circuit at Kembla Grange to a dual grade I winner in just over four months. After wins in the Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas (both Aust-I), he was bidding for the Triple Crown when pipped in the Derby.

David Payne was a leading trainer in South Africa for more than 20 years, is now based at Randwick and only sent out his first Sydney starters last week.