Chris Munce confident Payline can produce Kingsford Smith Cup upset after enormous Doomben 10,000 run came as no surprise
The four-year-old gelding jumped as a $51 chance in the 1200m race but went agonisingly close to upsetting now three-time Group 1 champion Sunshine In Paris.
Chris Munce said he felt supremely confident heading into the $1.5m sprint after hearing Huxtable's assessment of Payline in his previous run, a ninth placing in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
'We were very confident,' Munce said about a thrilling Doomben 10,000 when Sunshine In Paris, with James McDonald on board, held off fast-finishing pair Rothfire and Payline.
'Justin actually said to me in the start before, 'he'll be hard to beat in the 10,000'.
'He had no luck (in the Victory Stakes), he had a s--t draw and had to get back further than what we wanted but he was getting home better than anything in the race.
'Justin was quite excited and bullish that he could win the 10,000 and he was a nose off being right.'
Payline will head into the rescheduled Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) on Saturday as a $19 chance before backing up in the $3m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) just seven days later.
The Chris Waller-trained mare Joliestar is the $2.90 favourite ahead of Giga Kick ($4.60), Benedetta ($7.50) and Bosustow ($7.50).
It took Payline seven races before he broke his maiden status, in May last year on the Sunshine Coast, but since then he's had five wins and racked up almost $1m in prizemoney.
Too good J-Mac! He lifts Sunshine In Paris to victory in the Doomben 10,000 ðŸ'° @mcacajamez @ANeashamRacing pic.twitter.com/DJaWJwBHJI
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 17, 2025
'He's always shown us a lot as far as ability goes,' said Munce, who trains alongside his son Corey.
'He's pretty straightforward but he does have a few quirks. He's a bit of an insecure horse, that's probably the best way to describe him.
'Just little things upset him, like if there's a change in environment or his surroundings then he gets himself a bit worked up.
'But once he gets comfortable and he's confident in his routine then he'll do anything for you.'
• Stradbroke hopes 'slimmer by the day' for Rothfire
Munce has viewed the Doomben 10,000 as a good formguide to the Stradbroke Handicap since his first Group 1 victory as a jockey in the race (then 1350m) in 1992 when he defeated Rough Habit, who turned the tables next start in the Straddie.
Meanwhile, connections of Group 1 winner Benedetta are still weighing up whether to shoot for the Kingsford Smith Cup or the Stradbroke Handicap.
Warren said a decision would likely be made on Thursday after discussions with the classy mare's managing owner Laurence Eales.
'At this stage we're aiming to run this Saturday although we have booked Tommy Berry to ride (in the Stradbroke) in case we decide to wait,' the Victorian trainer said on Wednesday about last year's The Goodwood champion.
'We're closely looking at the weather for next week and weighing up if we should bypass this Group 1 (Kingsford Smith) for the Stradbroke.
'She's done all her work, she had a gallop on the course proper at Deagon on Tuesday and we're really happy with her but we're yet to decide.
'She's got 53.5kg in the Stradbroke which is a beautiful weight for her.
'Tommy Berry will have to lose a kilo to ride her but he's up for it.'
If Benedetta does skip the Stradbroke, she will be then targeted at the $700,000 Group 1 Tattersall's Tiara, a race restricted to fillies and mares, at Eagle Farm on June 28.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
AFLW stars on being role models, dealing with setbacks and the future of the league: ‘The game has evolved'
Posing on set for Stellar's shoot in Sydney's eastern suburbs is worlds away from the footy field, yet Chloe Molloy – co-captain of Sydney Swans' AFLW team – embraces being out of her comfort zone. 'I can respect what models do,' Molloy tells Stellar with a laugh. 'I get so awkward – I'm not camera shy but then … I am slightly camera shy.' Molloy, who grew up in the Victorian town of Whittlesea, made her AFLW debut in 2017 – and won the AFLW Rising Star Award, was named All-Australian three times, and nabbed a Best and Fairest at her former club Collingwood, before signing with the Swans in 2023. Ahead of the start of the 2025 AFLW season – marking the league's tenth overall (two seasons were played in 2022) – Molloy and her cohorts, Brisbane Lions dual premiership player Ally Anderson and Melbourne captain Kate Hore – reflect on how the league has changed since its inception in 2017. 'The game has evolved a lot,' Molloy says. As for what she would like to see in its future? 'I'd love for there to be more analysis [of matches]. I'd love more camera angles [during broadcasts]. I think you can get caught up with what we don't have … and forget how far we have come.' The trio is hopeful that, like them, more AFLW players will be able to earn a full-time salary from playing in the coming years – an ambition shared by the AFL. '[The AFL] is committed to us being full-time,' Molloy notes. 'When that is, hopefully sooner rather than later. There's growth in the game that's happening and still needs to happen. Salaries not only for the players but salaries around [for support staff]. Hopefully in the next few years [there will be] full time wages not just for the players, but for everyone around us.' Molloy, 26, is on track to make her return to the Swans after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury ruled her out of last season. 'It was very hard to process that I had even done it,' Molloy says. 'And you just know straight away that you are on the sidelines for so long. I didn't realise how mentally taxing it would be: 10, 11 months. One that I wouldn't wish upon anybody. It is a rehab beast – at times, it definitely defeated me. Now, I look ahead and everything that I have been through. It kind of makes me think, I just want to play football. I don't have a return date set. Fingers crossed [for a round one return].' Brisbane Lions midfielder Anderson, who played in two premierships with the club and is a three-time AFLW All-Australian, is firmly focused on avenging the Lions crushing Grand Final loss to North Melbourne last season. 'It was super devastating and a bit emotional,' Brisbane-born Anderson – a proud Gangulu / Wakka Wakka woman – tells Stellar. 'And it wasn't the first Grand Final that we'd lost,' the 31-year-old adds. 'I have been on both sides and it never gets any easier. You sort of have a really big break in the off-season away from footy. 'As a team, we have worked together. The position we have put ourselves in throughout the whole pre-season to … get back to what we were and do one better. 'We all want to redeem ourselves.' Like Molloy, Anderson made her AFLW debut in 2017 and she adds: 'I've played every game since'. The winner of the 2022 AFL Women's best and fairest award, Anderson notes: 'I'm one of the lucky ones – for the past 3-4 years, I've been able to dedicate myself to footy. I've been able to work on my fitness and I have had a lot of improvement over the past few years. I never thought I'd be a full-time professional athlete.' Ahead of the new season, Hore says she is more aware than ever about being a role model to the next generation 'It definitely took me a bit of time for it to sink in,' the 30-year-old says. 'My idols in footy growing up were all male, so for young girls to now have AFLW athletes to look up to is pretty cool. 'The saying 'you can't be what you can't see' resonates with me.' Hore, a three-time All-Australian player, Best & Fairest winner, and the league's leading goalkicker in 2023, is in a relationship with Corey Maynard, a former footballer who now works in player development at North Melbourne – and the couple share their Melbourne home with a Golden Retriever puppy, Benny. 'Footy is obviously a big part of our lives but we love getting out of the footy bubble whenever we can,' Hore says. 'We are both very competitive, so when either of our teams lose we're probably not much fun to be around. He's incredibly supportive of my footy career.' The 2025 NAB AFLW Premiership season starts on Thursday, August 14. See
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Broncos hit with injuries, Ezra Mam report in belting of the hapless Rabbitohs
The Broncos thrashed the Rabbitohs 60-14 on the back of a Reece Walsh masterclass for their highest score in 14 years, but Xavier Willison suffered a broken arm at Suncorp Stadium. Payne Haas was also ruled out pre-match due to an infection, while Ezra Mam was placed on report to tarnish an otherwise stellar night for the home side. Walsh had four try assists and a try, while Kotoni Staggs, Deine Mariner and Ezra Mam grabbed doubles in the 10 tries to two rout. Staggs put Selwyn Cobbo through a hole before he found Mam who passed back and forth to Walsh to race away and score and give the Broncos the lead. Mam was placed on report for high contact on Souths fullback Jye Gray. Adam Reynolds put the ball on a dime for Jack Gosiewski to dive on a grubber to score the Broncos' second. Lewis Dodd put up a pinpoint cross-field kick for Bayleigh Bentley-Hape to produce a brilliant catch to score and get Souths on the board. Walsh put Staggs through a hole as the Broncos scored a dagger just before the break. However Tallis Duncan charged over on the stroke of half-time, but Souths' second missed goal of the night made it 18-8 at the interval. A costly error from Jacob Host allowed Cobbo to pounce and race away to score a 50-metre try against the run of play. In a big blow for the Broncos prop Willison suffered a suspected broken forearm. Walsh produced some magic quick hands to put Mariner over for another try as the Broncos looked to run away with it. Ben Talty charged over from close range off a pass from Billy Walters as the Broncos threatened a cricket score. Mariner finished off a slick Broncos raid to dive over in the corner for his second as the Broncos extended their lead. Mariner turned provider to put Staggs over for his double as the Broncos pushed towards a half century. Mam sliced through a gaping hole to score a double of his own as the Broncos passed 50. Lachlan Hubner scored a consolation try for Souths after Ashton Ward saved a try at the other end with a try-saving tackle on Jordan Riki. Patrick Carrigan put Walsh over for a late try to cap a big win for the Broncos in style on another sad night for the Rabbitohs. Walsh came bounced back from one of his worst performances of the season to produce one of his best in the thrashing of the Rabbitohs. Walsh's run metres were down with just 63 from eight runs, but everything he touched turned to gold in a masterclass display. Walsh finished with four tackle busts, an offload, two linebreaks, four linebreak assists and four try assists to go with the final try of the night. Mam was also brilliant with 209 run metres, four tackle busts, two linebreaks and a classy double in a superb display. With Walsh and Mam in their team and firing the Broncos will be very hard to beat in the finals and they could push into the top four after improving their points differential and the Warriors lost. But Haas had to go to hospital and be put on an IV drip due to a skin infection, while Willison's injury is another headache for Michael Maguire.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘S**t show': Aussie Mollie O'Callaghan falls just short of passing Thorpedo
Thorpedo, your record has survived to see another day. Mollie O'Callaghan had a chance to surpass the legendary Ian Thorpe and stand alone at the very top of the country's World Championship swimming history on Friday night. Watch the biggest Aussie sports & the best from overseas LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. But the 21-year-old fell agonisingly short, grabbing silver in the 100m freestyle final in a time of 52.67 seconds, just 0.12 seconds behind Dutchwoman Marrit Steenbergen. After already winning three gold medals this week, including the 200m freestyle and then the 4x200m freestyle relay just 24 hours earlier, O'Callaghan admitted she was tired after the race and pointed to her schedule compared to her 100m competitors. Watch the 100m freestyle final in the video player above 'I'm tired,' she said right after the swim. 'I'm not going to lie, last night was a big night. 'None of those girls did what I did last night. 'I'm happy to walk away with a medal. Honestly I always want to win, but to get on the podium after such a s**t show of a year, I'm pretty happy. 'And it just shows the strength that I have in the book. I've barely done any training for this.' O'Callaghan came into Friday night's final level with Thorpe on 11 World Championship gold medals, one ahead of another great in Grant Hackett. After finishing fourth in the two-lap sprint at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 21-year-old O'Callaghan was keen for redemption in Singapore. After making the turn in fourth, O'Callaghan lifted but couldn't quite overhaul Steenbergen. Prior to the race, Thorpe himself was hoping O'Callaghan would move one gold medal clear of his record. 'I'd be more than happy to see it go tonight,' he said on Channel 9. 'Mollie O'Callaghan is an incredible talent. It's gone a little bit under the radar but I'm really happy for her.' It wasn't quite to be on Friday night, but the youngster still has plenty more opportunities to pass Thorpe's mark and set a record way out all by herself. It's been an incredible week for the Queenslander, who backed up her 200m Olympic title by blowing her rivals away over the final 50m of the race on Wednesday night. O'Callaghan powered away after the final turn and touched the wall in a time of 1:53.48 to edge out China's Bingjie Li (1:54.52) and America's Claire Weinstein (1:54.67). Then in Thursday's relay, Channel 9 commentators noticed O'Callaghan could barely keep her feet after exiting the pool and celebrating with teammates Lani Pallister, Jamie Perkins and Brittany Castelluzzo. They finished in a time of 7:39.35, ahead of USA in 7:40.01 and China (7:42.99) in third. O'Callaghan's gutsy effort came just 90 minutes after she secured her spot in the 100m freestyle final in winning her semi-final. 'It was pretty rough backing it up after the 100 free … you can't really take it easy in the 100 free,' O'Callaghan said. 'I do it for the team, for the country. I know these girls put their whole work into this. 'It's a dream to be part of this team and I did it for these girls.' She started favourite for the 100m freestyle final, but walked away with silver as Thorpe's name remained in equal first for now.
