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By Ray Hickson

Trainer David Payne won’t be afraid to follow the ‘Ace High path’ with emerging three-year-old French Emperor if he races up to expectation at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer David Payne (Pic: Bradley Photos)

He might be coming off a Goulburn maiden win but Payne has a sizeable opinion of French Emperor and on the back of that win hasn’t hesitated in stepping him up to the Group 3 $200,000 ACY Securities Gloaming Stakes (1800m).

Ace High was a much more experienced horse when he won the Gloaming, Spring Champion and Victoria Derby in 2017 and inexperience is Payne’s only reservation about this year’s contender.

“Once the penny drops he could be a Derby horse,’’ he said.

“He’s very good, he’s a lovely horse. He’s got plenty of ability but he does a few things wrong, that’s his problem, he’s still a baby.

“At this time of the year a lot won’t see the trip out and some aren’t good enough so you’ve just got to go there and take them on. He’ll definitely stay the trip.”

French Emperor, $8.50 with TAB on Thursday, made his debut with a close third behind Profondo, one of his rivals on Saturday, at Kensington on September 1 before posting his first win in a 1600m maiden at Goulburn.

His antics in that race, where he hung badly on the turn, cost him a warning from the stewards and Payne has since worked him in blinkers in an effort to keep him focused.

“He should have nearly won his first start, I know Profondo was in the race, but he was unlucky,’’ he said.

“We wanted him to win his maiden to get into the Gloaming. He hangs and he runs around as you could see the other day but we’ve put a bit of gear on him to straighten him up and keep him concentrating.

“He seems better and much more tractable.”

Payne said he expects Tim Clark to make use of an inside barrier on French Emperor and have him in a spot in the first four or so and from there it’ll be up to the horse to do things right.

He’s a $17 chance in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) on October 9.

Consistent galloper Bazooka faces fewer rivals than he’s used to in the Precise Air Handicap (1900m) and Payne believes that, and an inside alley, will give him every chance to post his third win.

The gelding ran fourth behind all the way winner Toomuchtobear at Kembla two weeks ago.

Jamaea wins the Furious Stakes at Randwick on September 4

“He was a bit unlucky the other day, he got shuffled back in a mudding race. It’s a small field and he’s drawn well, he’s as good as those,’’ he said.

And stablemate Obvious Step will need to turn her form around if she’s to be a player in the Midway Handicap (1300m) after a couple of battling midfield finishes in two runs back from a break.

“She’s been a bit disappointing but if she can be in a handier position she could be competitive,’’ he said.

“She does a lot of things wrong but the one draw will be a big help for her.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Rose meeting at Rosehill