Happy Retirement Twilight Payment

Mark Smith - Wednesday November 3

The 2020 Melbourne Cup hero Twilight Payment has been retired and will live out his days at Living Legends.

The 9yo son of Teofilo (IRE) finished eleventh as the topweight in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

The Joseph O'Brien-trained gelding had arrived in Australia in good form, having finished second in the Irish St Leger on September 12, after winning at the St Leger Trial at The Curragh four weeks earlier.

Advertisement

Twilight Payment and Jye McNeil capture the 2020 Melbourne Cup (image Racing Photos)

Like his sire Teofilo (IRE), Twilight Payment was bred by Jim Bolger and was trained by him when initially carrying the colours of Godolphin. He continued to race for Bolger after being sold for €200,000 at the 2018 Goffs Horses In Training sale.

After racing in the colours of the trainer's wife Jackie Bolger, Twilight Payment was acquired by Lloyd Williams and transferred to the stable of Joseph Patrick O'Brien.

O'Brien trained Rekindling (GB), another son of Teofilo (IRE) for Williams. Rekindling (GB) won the 2017 Melbourne Cup.

Twilight Payment retires with a record of nine wins, eleven seconds and nine thirds with earnings the equivalent of $5,842,805.

Nick Williams announced the retirement on Twitter.

"On behalf of the owners, I would like to thank Joseph O'Brien and all his team, particularly his handler Sean Corby and Mark Power.

"He has brought so much excitement to our ownership group, families and friends. Living Legends will be his new home."

Twilight Payment's dam Dream On Buddy (Oasis Dream) was passed in for 38,000 guineas at the 2010 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. She sold for 240,000 guineas to BBA Ireland in the same ring 12 months later after her half-sister Bamfire (Holy Roman Emperor) won the Group II Ribblesdale Stakes at Ascot, the Group II Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh and the Group II Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.

 

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pause for Thought
You see a yearling and you love the yearling, but then you see the x-ray and you are given pause for thought - what happens next?
One to Watch – Warwick Farm
Winning a $100,000 Super Maiden on debut at Warwick Farm on a Wednesday is a nice way to kick off your career, especially if you are a well bred filly by The Autumn Sun.
Sharp 'n' Smart Ready for Summer Campaign
Former New Zealand Horse of the Year Sharp ‘N’ Smart is set to head to Trentham on Saturday to kick-off his summer campaign and ready for a Group One assignment at the Upper Hutt track next month.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday December 17
Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Impressive First Winner for Graff and a Quinella!
Standing at Kitchwin Hills, brilliantly fast Group II winning sprinter Graff is on the board with his first winner after the well named colt Grafterburners produced a dazzling last to first win at Ipswich on Wednesday.
Street Boss 2YO Trifecta at Warwick Farm
The ‘blue army’ was out in force in the two year-old fillies maiden at Warwick Farm on Wednesday when Godolphin sent out four unraced fillies trained by James Cummings, three of them by Street Boss (USA) and a fourth by Bivouac and they were one, two, three and four turning for home!
Late 210,000 guineas Sale for Savabeel Mare in foal Too Darn Hot
The five-year-old broodmare SEDAKA, offered in foal to TOO DARN HOT on a Southern Hemisphere cover, has been sold for a record 210,000 guineas to Kestrel Thoroughbreds’ Bruce Slade on behalf of Nocab Racing, making her the top priced lot in the Tattersalls Online December Sale and the highest priced broodmare ever sold on the platform.
$1000 Mare Gives Trainer a Pick Me Up Win
Sam Mynott woke up to a pleasing result from her hospital bed on Wednesday afternoon, with Electron taking out the Stella Artois 1500 Qualifying Race (1600m) at Ruakaka.
$1.53 Million Showjumping and Polo Add to the Magic Millions Carnival
Magic Millions confirmed the much-anticipated line-up of teams and competitors across the entertainment-packed Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo & Showjumping on Sunday, January 5, 2025 at Doug Jennings Park on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
Teofilo's Twilight Payment Takes No Prisoners Going Post to Post in Melbourne Cup
A seventh Lexus Melbourne Cup for Lloyd Williams, a second for Joseph O'Brien, a second for Teofilo (IRE) and a first for Jye McNeil as Twilight Payment (IRE) ran them into the ground in Tuesday's $8 million feature.