Ours To Keep confirms Millions status
Chris Munce admits he won’t get much sleep for the next two weeks after his colt Ours To Keep confirmed he was a genuine Magic Millions Classic hope with victory at Eagle Farm.
Ours To Keep ($3.20) made it three wins from three starts and gave fledgling trainer Munce his first Group winner when he won Saturday’s Group Three B J McLachlan Stakes (1200m).
The former champion jockey probably covered more ground than Ours To Keep in his celebration which included several laps of the saddling enclosure.
“I have ridden Melbourne Cup, Golden Slipper and Cox Plate winners. But there is nothing like this. The work you put into them as a trainer and then to see them race like that,” Munce said.
He said he could now take Ours To Keep into the Magic Millions with confidence despite several southern horses coming to the fore in recent weeks.
“Ours To Keep is some horse. He really sprinted today and he ran the 1200 metres out like I thought he would,” Munce said.
“I won’t be sleeping much in the next fortnight. What a thrill to have a horse like him in your stable.”
Ours To Keep cost only $28,000 as a yearling but Munce was left with him when the original buyers pulled out.
Munce’s wife Cathy then took half with family friend Gary Lawrence taking the other 50 per cent.
“My only worry is that he has had two hard runs in the lead-up,” Munce said.
Winning jockey Damian Browne said Ours To Keep was a perfect Magic Millions horse because he could take up a position and then finish hard.
“Of course barriers play a major role and especially in the Millions,” he said.
Ours To Keep beat Goodfella ($19) by 1-3/4 lengths with Coorg ($7), a non Magic Millions horse, third another half length back.
Jeff Lloyd who rode Goodfella said it was a good run because of the way the Eagle Farm track was playing an favouring horses up on the pace.
Goodfella is assured of a Millions Classic start.
No tags for this post.