Cool Archie chasing fourth straight win in BRC Sires' Produce Stakes as he follows Sizzling path to Group 1
Brisbane trainer Chris Munce has compared his high-flying colt Cool Archie to one of his favourite gallopers Sizzling, who he enjoyed enormous success with as a champion jockey.
Munce also said many people still did not respect Cool Archie, who will chase his fourth straight victory in the Group 2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
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The now 56-year-old trainer formed a special bond with Group 1 winner Sizzling, who took out the Sires' Produce in 2012 with Munce on board.
'I've got quite attached to him,' Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Munce said about Sizzling in June 2013.
'He was a little beauty right from the start.'
Munce had a golden run with Sizzling in the 2012 Queensland winter carnival, winning successive Group races the Champagne Classic (now Spirit of Boom Classic), Sires' Produce and the TJ Smith (now JJ Atkins).
The following year Sizzling finished seventh in the Stradbroke Handicap as a three-year-old.
Cool Archie is following a similar trajectory and Munce is hoping history can repeat with a victory in the Sires' Produce this week.
'He reminds me a little bit of Sizzling, who had an early Magic Millions preparation and then he came back to win those same sort of races,' Munce said of Cool Archie.
'Sizzling won the Ken Russell (in 2012) and then won the Champagne Classic, the Sires' and JJ Atkins.
'They're a similar mould of horse so you never know.'
Bookmakers have rated Cool Archie as a $15 chance for the Sires' Produce Stakes, with the winner guaranteed entry into the JJ Atkins (1600m) on June 14 at Eagle Farm.
Team Hawkes' Gallo Nero is the $3.80 favourite ahead of Aerodrome ($6.50), Prince Tycoon ($8) and Beskar ($8.50).
Munce bristles somewhat at those odds for Cool Archie, knowing full well that the classy colt can't do any more to impress him.
'I'm sure he'll run the seven furlongs strong, he'll do it on his ear,' said Munce, who trains in partnership with his son Corey.
'The horse is exposed now, his form is there with people to do what they want with it.
'Obviously they don't respect his ratings I suppose, for whatever reason, but I can only go on my horse and what I see in the stables and he's done everything right.
'He looks great and he's doing extremely well. I've got no reason to think he won't run good again for us.'
Munce said he would chat to Irish jockey Martin Harley before deciding whether to take the blinkers off Cool Archie for Saturday's $1m Sires' Produce.
The trainer also has Brookhaven running in the Lord Mayor's Cup (1800m), Payline in the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) and Ruins Of Rom e in the Fred Best Classic (1400m).
The latter two races both offer a golden ticket into next month's $3m Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap.
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