Munce says win ‘better than Melbourne Cup’

Champion jockey Chris Munce turned back the clock 20 years with a superb ride to score a “family win” on Brayroan in the listed Caloundra Cup on Saturday.

Brayroan ($17) scored by 2¾ lengths to Brave Ali ($4.80), with four lengths to Kiwi galloper Zennista ($13) in third at the Sunshine Coast.

Munce won the 1994 Caloundra Cup on board Oompala, who went on to run third in the Melbourne Cup that year.

The 1994 win was rated one of Munce’s best rides, but the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey was beaming after Brayroan’s win.

Munce also won the race on Yammer in 2000 but admitted the win of Brayroan gave him the biggest thrill.

The hoop said Brayroan had been suited by the fast early pace set by Brave Ali and Mr O’Ceirin.

“They turned it into a genuine staying test and he is a Zabeel who has won at 2400m. I knew he would be strong at the finish,” he said.

“That’s better than any Melbourne Cup,” a beaming Munce declared after the win.

“It’s great because the family has been involved in getting him to win today.”

The horse is trained by his 71-year-old father-in-law Barry Mitchell and was strapped by Munce’s wife Kathy.

While Munce has been one of Australia’s leading riders for three decades with 44 group one wins to his credit, Mitchell has been one of Queensland’s most respected trainers. Mitchell has held a trainer’s licence for 50 years and won hundreds of races, mainly in north Queensland.

One of his best horses was the sprinter Ramses, who won in open company in Brisbane 30 years ago.

“I won a lot of cups in north Queensland over a long period of time but this being a family win gives me a special thrill,” Mitchell said. “We tried him at Ipswich and he didn’t like the tight track there. He really came on in the last week and we were much more confident on the bigger track and extra distance.”

Brayroan was one of a batch of horses sent to Mitchell by family friend Anne-Marie Ruttley.

“I hope she sends us a few more. The Ruttleys are friends of Kathy and Chris and have been good to our family,” he said.

Mitchell is still to decide where he will head with Brayroan, with the Grafton Cup on July 10 or the Queensland Cup (3200m) next Saturday among his options.