Happy Retirement Twilight Payment

Mark Smith - Wednesday Nov 3

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

Advertisement

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.

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...
Sires With Winners - Monday November 9
Here is the full list of 20 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Frankel Heads Juddmonte Euro Roster at £350,000
Fresh from siring outstanding young stayer Point of Law (GB) to win the $10m Group I VRC Melbourne Cup, champion sire Frankel will again top the roster at Banstead Manor Stud for Juddmonte.
2027 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1881 entries for the 2027 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Southern Highlands Thoroughbred Week is Out of the Gate!
Celebrating 140 years of racing and thoroughbred culture, Southern Highlands Thoroughbred Week presented by GROW Southern Highlands will span three weekends, from 19th November to 6th December.
Unraced First Season Sires Trial Report
It’s been a pretty steady start to spring in terms of 2YO races and we are still waiting to see a first season sire post a winner, but there has been action aplenty at the trials which would indicate the pre-Christmas period is set to ignite.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 10
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Remembering Northerly – The Greatest Caulfield Cup Winner This Century
It's Caulfield Cup week, and what better moment to revisit the life and times of one of the greatest - if not the greatest - Caulfield Cup winner of the modern era.
Inglis Digital Purchase Iron Hawk to Tackle G3 TAB Mile
Harness racing trainer Barry Purdon bought Iron Hawk last year with New Zealand Cup Week in mind, and now the moment has arrived, with the stakes performer set to tackle the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on Wednesday.
Haras d'Etreham Set Fee for Hotazhell
Triple Group I winner Hotazhell will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham in France at a fee of €15,000 next year before then shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia.
Remembering Sunline – The Queen of the Cox Plate Before Winx
From our vantage point in 2026, we can look back at modern Cox Plate history and marvel at how quickly the years are passing.