MUNCE STABLE BITES BACK AFTER SETBACKS

By Graham Potter | Saturday, January 3, 2026

In one sense, it’s been a tough three weeks for the Chris and Corey Munce training partnership … but it has also been a period which has brought significant success for the stable.

Such is the life of a racehorse trainer.

The Munce team lost their stable star Cool Archie through injury in the week leading up to the Gold Edition on December 20, his scheduled first run as a three-year-old after a stellar two-year-old career which saw him reel off five successive wins to go from a Maiden to a Group 1 winner, which was enough for Cool Archie to claim the Queensland Two-Year-Old Of The Year award.

That was a tough name to wipe off the racing roster … but, a week later, the stable’s Hellbent colt Zip Lock, who has won on debut, took on a competitive field in the group 3 B J McLachlan and made it two wins from two starts in impressive fashion.

Zip Lock is currently second favourite for the $3 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic which will be contested at the Gold Coast on January 17.

Then on Saturday, Say You Will, another Magic Millions prospect from the Munce stable, went out looking to earn more prize-money in a QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap, but that didn’t happen, not because he was found wanting in the running, but because he played up so badly at the start he was scratched at the gates.

Another disappointment.

But … just three races later. Chis and Corey Munce were back in the winners’ enclosure after Lonhro’s Queen, under Rachel King, proved too strong for the opposition in the Listed Nudgee Stakes, in spite of starting at double figure odds of $10.

Lonhro’s Queen came into the race having not finished out of the first four … and never more than 2.48 lengths back … in four previous starts this preparation, which were her first four starts for the Munce stable after relocating from the Cameron Crockett yard … so this was a case of consistency being rewarded.

Missing from the usual lineup here though was jockey Martin Harley, Lonhro’s Queen’s regular pilot who was stood down earlier in the day when becoming ill.
Rachel King took the ride.

Numbered amongst those four pervious runs was a second-place finish in the Listed Tatts Classic, in which Lonhro’s Queen finished 1.68 lengths behind Midnight In Tokyo when carrying 0.5kg more than the winner.

That result allowed Lonhro’s Queen to come into the Nudgee Stakes 2kg better off at the weights with Midnight In Tokyo, a weight differential which would prove to be invaluable with Lonhro’s Queen and King taking every advantage of that advantage.

After racing together in midfield mid-race, some four lengths off the lead, King stayed on the inside turning for home while Midnight In Tokyo shifted out wider on the track.

That effectively gave Lonhro’s Queen first run on Midnight In Tokyo and, even though they ran on steadily together, now quite wide apart in the straight, King had pinched those couple of lengths advantage when the Munce trained runner hit the front with 200m left to run, and that is basically how things stayed despite the game effort of Midnight In Tokyo who dig drag Lonhro’s Queen’s winning margin back to 0,83 lengths.

'She's had a wonderful prep ...you know winning first-up ... and then being placed ... and now coming out and winning a Stakes race. That was it is all about bringing the girl up here," said co-trainer Chris Munce.

"She is a pleasure having around and she is thriving."

More articles