Recording a thoroughly deserving elite level victory off the back of his sensational form this time in, Chris and Corey Munce’s 2yo Cool Aza Beel colt Cool Archie took his campaign to five straight wins, capturing the $1m Group 1 BRC JJ Atkins (1600m) in style.
With a Listed win, followed by a pair of Group 2 victories at his last three starts, the Newhaven Farm bred and sold colt surprisingly didn’t start favourite in the final Group 1 race of the season for the two-year-olds, with the Chris Waller trained I Am Invincible colt Hidden Achievement jumping away the punters’ elect.
While we have to go back to 2012 to see Sizzling (Snitzel) as the last horse win the JJ Atkins, Champagne Stakes and Spirit Of Boom Classic, the irony of it all was that it was Chirs Munce who rode that colt to victory in those races, with a full circle moment seeing Munce in partnership with his son Corey, training this year’s feature winner.
Drawing barrier 9, the decision was to go forward and settle a little handier in the run, and while this could’ve been his undoing, the colt has shown utter vesatility, be it a heavy or good track, 1200m or 1600m, ridden at the tail or ridden more handy, he is clearly capable of absorbing the pressure when needed to produce the goods.
Actually the quickest out of the gates, Harley went forward where, although wide, he settled Cool Archie in sixth with outsider The Bear (Vancouver) taking up the running after jumping from the outside barrier of 16.
Starting to track forward at the 800m mark, Cool Archie had just two runners ahead of him rounding the home turn and while James McDonald aboard Hidden Achievement was starting to look a danger as he came along the inside, Harley asked for an effort from his outstanding colt and he responded, pulling clear to win by a length and a quarter.
At his first black type start, Hidden Achievement highlighted his future potential with second, while the locally trained Call De Vinci (Under The Louvre) continued his solid form to finish third, the same position he finished behind Cool Archie last time out.
Having won 42 Group 1 races as a jockey including the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, Golden Slipper and Caulfield Cup, the thrill of training this colt to Group 1 success in partnership with his son will surely be something remembered for a long time
“Unbelievable,” summed it up for Chirs Munce. “I was trying to contain my excitement until the last 100 metres and I couldn't help myself.”
“It's so good for Max (Whitby), you know, it's a great thrill for Max, but I also, I really want to give credit to Martin Harley, he's done a wonderful, wonderful job with this colt all the way along."
“I said before the race, it's a team effort. He's part of the team and I have so much confidence when we put him on because he just does everything right. He knew exactly he walked the track yesterday. He knew where he was going to be and what he was going to do. And it worked out.”
In their first season as a training partnership, the racing industry has always been entrenched in Corey's life.
“To tick off a Group 1 in Dad and my first season of training together. You know, you can't ask for a better start than that, can you?” enthused Corey Munce.
“He's just a beautiful horse. Have a look at him, have a look at this. We were never concerned about the barriers and track conditions today.”
“We knew the horse we had. Martin knew the horse, and what he had underneath him.
Taking his record to five wins from five rides on the colt, jockey Martin Harley bids farewell to Australia and flies out on Saturday night, heading back to the United Kingdom where he will target races during the Royal Ascot carnival.
“I thought if this story had ended the way it just did, it would be too good to be true. But I have belief in the horse. He's a willing partner.”
“He sat a little bit closer today, just the way the track's been playing. I ended up getting that way too soon. But with the blinkers off now, he's got loads of fight in him.
“It's been a while between the drinks and the Group 1’s, but when you get the opportunity, most of us can get the job done. Out of all my Group 1 winners, that's probably been my best chance out of the six. But I'm glad to get back on that Group 1 board.”
The Whitby Bloodstock raced Cool Archie is the best of five winners from six to race for Aware (Tale Of The Cat), a winning daughter of three-time stakes winner, and multiple Group 1 placed Media (Gilded Time).
Tracing back to the family of Bravery (Zephyr Zip), herself the star three-year-old of the 1988 Brisbane Winter Carnival for the Brian Mayfield-Smith stable winning both the Queensland Oaks and Derby before retiring to stud in 1989, a story that Pedigree guru Malcolm Campbell recounted to Breednet recently – read HERE.
With five wins, highlighted by his Group 1 success, the valuable colt has now banked more than $1.6m for Whitby Bloodstock off the back of a $100,000 yearling purchase by Mick Malone Bloodstock from the Magic Millions Yearling Sale draft of Newhaven Park.
The first Group 1 winner from the first crop to race for Cool Aza Beel, the Group 1-winning son of Savabeel will stand for a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST) at the Kelly’s Newhaven Park Stud in the spring.
