Uncompromising patience is one of the great keys to preparing a Melbourne Cup winner.

Whether Rosehill trainer David Payne will be rewarded for his caution with star mare Montefilia in this year’s big race remains to be seen, but he appears to have timed her chances to the minute. When faced with the chance to push on with her into the Cup as a four-year-old last year, after she had run a game fourth in the Caulfield Cup, Payne chose instead to send her to the spelling paddock for an important rest.

After again running an eye-catching fourth in this year’s Caulfield Cup, now as a more furnished and experienced five-year-old, Montefilia will now get her chance. Payne, quite rightly, told Inside Rail he thought her Caulfield Cup run was the best Melbourne Cup trial from the race and that she had bounced well out of that performance.

“She’s never been better,” Payne declared.

“She’s going in well and I’m very pleased with her preparation, I just hope she has some luck. She was a little bit lucky the other day, but that’s racing.

“We pulled the plug last year because I thought she was a bit young. Now she’s a much better horse - stronger, bigger and now she’s fully-matured.”

Although Montefilia’s longest winning distance is 2400m, Payne is adamant he breeding will easily take her to the extra 800m of the Melbourne Cup. Her mother Bana Wu was by German stallion Shirocco, whose father Monsun sired no less than three Melbourne Cup winners - Fiorente (2013), Protectionist (2014) and Almandin (2016).

Montefilia’s dual Group 1-winning father Kermadec also has deep staying pedigree. His sire was 2006 Eurpoean champion two-year-old Teofilo, whose dad was star Irish stayer Galileo. It all makes a compelling case for her true staying ability.

And although she has only had 22 career starts, winning nearly $2.8 million in prizemoney, she has consistently raced with great credit at the sport’s elite level.

“She hasn’t had that many runs for a five-year-old, but she’s won six races and four of them were Group 1s,” Payne said. “Horses like her are hard to come by. She’s such a lady and she does nothing wrong.”

Importantly, Montefilia also beat reigning Melbourne Cup champ Verry Elleegant in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill in March. She is a $13 chance for the Cup.