Latest news with #GoldCoastMagicMillions2YOClassic
Herald Sun
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Chris Munce makes big call to miss spring carnival with gun colt Cool Archie
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Chris Munce has made the call to skip the spring carnival with his exceptional young Group 1-winning colt Cool Archie, with exciting dreams of next year's Group 1 Doncaster Mile potentially in mind. Cool Archie took the Queensland winter carnival by storm, winning five races on the bounce culminating in the Group 1 JJ Atkins. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The young colt showed amazing versatility, winning on wet and dry tracks and races from 1000m to 1600m, and he would be a great pick to score Australian 2YO horse of the year honours. Cool Archie could have been a major spring carnival player in elite three-year-old races but Munce, who co-trains with his son Corey, has made the call to opt out of the spring. Munce had been contemplating resting Cool Archie from the spring for several weeks, but said he had not made the definitive call until now. He is wary the young colt had a bumper 2024/25 season, with a five-race winter carnival mission and also a summer campaign when he raced in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January. • Truck-driving hobby trainer sets sights on Sydney first Munce, the legendary former jockey turned trainer, said he will most likely bring Cool Archie back for a couple of runs in the summer and then the autumn carnival. The prestigious Doncaster Mile could be a target. 'I'm mindful that he has had a long two-year-old campaign and I don't think I should be rushing him back just because it's the spring carnival,' Munce said. 'He will probably only have a couple of runs over the summer and concentrate more on the autumn. 'We would look at a race like the Doncaster, if he is going well enough, three-year-old horses have a good record in it. • 'Took my breath away': How Angela Jones wowed Gai Waterhouse 'Realistically, I think this could be what works for him. 'My heart is in the position where I just want to look after him for the moment, considering he did such a good job over the winter and he had some pretty hard runs. 'Not only that, but he had been campaigning for the Magic Millions, which then rolled into the winter. 'The horse has always looked to be like he is going to be a better three-year-old anyway.' JJ Atkins winner Cool Archie won't be seen this spring. Picture: Trackside Photography Given Cool Archie's stunning CV, Munce believes the dynamic colt should be strongly considered for Australian 2YO horse of the year honours. 'I think if they (judges) are fair dinkum, he has to be,' Munce said. • 'What a thrill': Husband-wife team lands historic win in Ramornie 'It's been a long time, probably since the likes of a horse like Dance Hero, since a two-year-old has been as dominant as Cool Archie has been. 'I'm not saying he is the same as Dance Hero. 'But what I am saying is this season, he has probably been the dominant two-year-old. 'How many other two-year-olds this season have won five consecutive races on different surfaces, different conditions and different distances? 'He's gone from a maiden to a Group 1.' Originally published as Chris Munce will rest Cool Archie during spring for possible tilt at the Group 1 Doncaster Mile next year
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Cool Archie now on winter carnival Group 1 path after Dalrello Stakes win at Eagle Farm
Legendary former jockey Chris Munce is hoping he has a Group 1 contender on his hands after young colt Cool Archie produced a tough win in the Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm. Munce did it all in the saddle as a Grand Slam-winning jockey and is no stranger to Group 1 winter carnival success in recent times, having become a Group 1-winning trainer when scoring the 2023 Tatt's Tiara with Palaisipan. In training partnership with son Corey, Munce looks to have a promising winter carnival prospects with two-year-old Cool Archie who became a stakes winner at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Cool Archie made it two straight since returning from a summer carnival campaign which culminated in him finishing midfield in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January. Cool Archie started the $4.40 second pick in the Dalrello, the 1000m scamper where Matt Dunn's resuming colt Torque To Be Sure was backed for a stack, officially from $3.10 into $2.90 but there had been $6 available earlier in the week. 😎 A tough win to Cool Archie in the Listed Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm! @munceracing | @BrisRacingClub â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2025 The two top picks settled down to fight out the Dalrello and at one point Torque To Be Sure appeared to have the race at his mercy as he cruised up in the straight. But Cool Archie would not be denied and fought out a gritty win under jockey Martin Harley. It might have been a 1000m dash but Munce is hoping he can get Cool Archie to the riches of the Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) on Stradbroke Handicap day next month. Cool Archie, who races in the colours of prominent owner Max Whitby, firmed from $51 to $26 in JJ Atkins betting after scoring the Dalrello. 'He's the quietest horse,' Munce said. 'You could put a child on him and he wouldn't turn a hair. 'I was a bit surprised to see him in the parade ring bouncing like he was. 'I'll tell you what, he's a tough little horse. 'He was always going to go on that Sires' and JJ (Atkins) path, so he'll go to the Spirit Of Boom Classic in two weeks' time.' Harley said he didn't know what it would take to win the JJ Atkins but he had every faith in the colt. 'He pricked his ears and when Torque To Be Sure came alongside him, he got on with it,' Harley said. 'To be honest, every question you ask him he answers. 'I don't know what it takes to win a JJ but I'd be happy to stay on him for sure.'
The Australian
26-04-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Dragonne Rouge plunge comes off as favourite Hi Barbie bombs start in Calaway Gal Stakes
The smart punters were on the money when a plunge on Dragonne Rouge to win the $200,000 Calaway Gal Stakes for two-year-old fillies at Eagle Farm on Saturday paid off after favourite Hi Barbie missed the start horribly. The Shaun Dwyer-trained filly was paying upwards of $7.50 earlier this week but jumped at $3.30 to win the Listed race on a Soft 7 track over 1200m, while Hi Barbie was short at $2.40. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Andrew Mallyon left his run late to wear down the Paul Shailer-trained Ha'penny Hatch ($6), with Sweet Pretender ($12) finishing third. It was a disaster for Brisbane's premier trainer Tony Gollan, who had nominated $1.2m filly Hi Barbie as the pick of his runners on Saturday before she badly missed the kick with Angela Jones riding. It would have been an emotional victory had Hi Barbie won her first race since her bold sixth in the $3m Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January. Hi Barbie is owned by Jennifer Acton, who lost her husband, cattle baron Alan, in a tragic helicopter accident more than two years ago. Gollan said it was 'back to the drawing board' for Hi Barbie after her mishap in the barriers. 'She was good in the gates, obviously got a bee in her bonnet and lunged in the air when the gates opened,' he said. 'She had a slower than normal post-race recovery but I think that's from getting so worked up when they jumped away.' Dwyer said the $1m JJ Atkins (1600m) on June 14 at Eagle Farm was still on the cards for Dragonne Rouge, who is now undefeated after three starts. 'Look, it's a while off. She'll probably get away with one run in between then,' said Dwyer, who celebrated his 67th birthday last Monday. 'Let's just see how she pulls up. I'm keen to do anything that might work. 'She's got a good 18 months of racing in her and I'm mindful of some good three-year-old races next year too. 'We've got the Magic Millions (3YO Guineas) and next year's three-year-old races. 'She's a big filly but she's light and she doesn't hurt herself. 'She could go through another race and maybe get to the mile race (JJ Atkins). She's a real racehorse.' Andrew Mallyon brings Dragonne Rouge back to the winner's stall. Pictute: Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography Dwyer is hoping to win his first Group 1 since 2004 when the Sunshine Coast trainer secured the Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley and the Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington. Owner Brad McMahon was delighted after the race and joked he wanted to send the tough filly to his hometown Grafton. 'It was unbelievable. She's been trained a treat,' McMahon said. 'She's fit and Shaun was really confident. 'She's super for a $25,000 horse. I still want to take her to Grafton for the two-year-old race down there. 'That Magic Millions three-year-old (Guineas on the Gold Coast in January) is still the one, that's the goal.'
