Patrick Payne started the week with stable favourite It's A Dud winning the time-honoured Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank.On Saturday he'll rack up another milestone by saddling up his first Sydney runner on Derby day at Randwick.Payne will start Adelaide Cup winner Capecover in the Group Two Chairman's Handicap (2600m) with the Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 24 also on the stayer's Sydney agenda."This will be my first runner in Sydney (as a trainer)," Payne said."I've taken horses to Queensl

Patrick Payne started the week with stable favourite It's A Dud winning the time-honoured Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank.

On Saturday he'll rack up another milestone by saddling up his first Sydney runner on Derby day at Randwick.

Payne will start Adelaide Cup winner Capecover in the Group Two Chairman's Handicap (2600m) with the Sydney Cup (3200m) on April 24 also on the stayer's Sydney agenda.

"This will be my first runner in Sydney (as a trainer)," Payne said.

"I've taken horses to Queensland, Adelaide, New Zealand and Tassie (Tasmania) but never Sydney."

Payne is no stranger to autumn carnival success in Sydney, however.

The former champion jockey, who had to give up race riding because of his weight, scored a memorable win in the 1992 Doncaster Handicap when he rode Soho Square at just 47.5kg.

Two years later he won the AJC Australian Oaks on Alcove and also enjoyed great success on champion galloper Tie The Knot, winning two Chipping Norton Stakes and a Ranvet Stakes on the Guy Walter-trained gelding.

Capecover gave Payne a huge thrill when the seven-year-old defeated stablemate Kerdem to win the Group Two Adelaide Cup (3200m) on March 8.

Payne monitored the stayer after that performance before deciding to continue on to Sydney for the Chairman's Handicap and Sydney Cup.

"He pulled up well from that run and being a seven-year-old he doesn't need a long spell," Payne said.

"He spent eight days in the Adelaide hills, then trotted in the hills for a couple of days and his work since has been really good.

"We were mainly concerned with running in the Adelaide Cup but we did have in the back of our minds all the way through that if he pulled up well then we'd look to Sydney too."

Capecover has won 12 races in his 43-start career at distances ranging from 1400m to 3200m.

He has won both the Listed Mornington Cup (2400m) and Adelaide Cup this preparation.

Payne said the Chairman's Handicap was an ideal race two weeks out from the Sydney Cup.

"It's going to be good just to see how he's going," Payne said.

"We really had him ready for the Adelaide Cup and whether he's going to be as good in Sydney, we'll wait and see.

"He seems as good but it just all depends how much the Adelaide Cup took out of him - we won't know that until after the Chairman's but I think he'll run really well."