Mr Payne is usually found behind the bar at the Criterion Hotel, but on Sunday he was cheering on his six-year-old brown gelding.

The 1300-metre race was held on Sunday November 4 at the Goulburn and District Racing Club on Racecourse Drive.

It was Kentucky Flyer’s second win from two starts, said Mr Payne with pride.

Mr Payne co-owns the horse with Darryl Kidd, owner of Global Blood Stock, and Anthony Manton, a professional race caller and former contestant on reality show Married At First Sight.

In the last two races, Kentucky Flyer has taken out prize money of $60,000, Mr Payne said.

“He showed good provincial form out of Melbourne,” said Mr Payne.

“He’s a front-runner.”

The gelding had just won the 1350-metre Jungle Juice Cup, which was held in October in Cessnock.

Mr Payne said he had tried horses in this race several times before.

“I finally won it with him and now won the Goulburn Anniversary,” said Mr Payne.

The horse was ridden by Qin Jong and, at 52.5 kilograms, he was the lightest jockey in the race. “The rider knows how to rate the horse,” said Mr Payne.

Kentucky Flyer won by a length, he said, beating seven-year-old gelding ‘Tiger By The Tale’, and six-year-old mare ‘Can She Kiss’ came in third.

“The horse just keeps fighting,” he said.

Kentucky Flyer, born in 2012, was sired by Street Sense (USA) and dam Princess Pedrille.

Mr Payne said he might take the horse to the Snake Gully Cup, which is to be held on Friday November 16 at Gundagai Racecourse