By Isaac Murphy
Zoucara has returned in stellar form after a promising first preparation, knocking over her maiden at the Gold Coast and a Class One at the Sunshine Coast in the last month.
Happy with the three-year-old filly’s progress Munce was tempted to spell the rising race horse after a horror draw in barrier nineteen for the Class Two Plate over 1300 at Eagle Farm, but he kept the faith and the filly rattled home for her third straight triumph.
“We were worried from the barrier where we would get to, but I had to put her round she’s racing been racing out of her skin this time round and she found a way,” Munce said.
“Ryan (Wiggins) rode her the only way he could, it was a long-sustained run and she still hit the line the hardest of them all.
”Munce said the $100,000 purchase at the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sales wasn’t the best-looking filly off the track but had all the traits of a winner on it.
“There’s not a lot of her and she’s only going to get better with time,” he said.
“She’s full of heart and has a great will to win and those are the type of race horses you want in your stable.”
The trainer said he’d been told some sage advice never to spell a winning horse and would find a suitable race for her.
“I was actually thinking of tipping her out after last start, but I’m not sure what I do with her now,” he said.
“There are options for her in the Winter, but I was once told to never tip one out while there winning, so we’ll sit down and find something else for her now.
”Munce said he couldn’t be happier for a loyal group of owners who have had a number of horses with him over the years.
“Coming and winning a Saturday race here obviously helps her pedigree and she’s worth quite a bit of money now.
”Part-owner Wayne Treleven said the syndicate were rapt to have the filly with the hands-on trainer.
“There are about twelve of us in the syndicate and there was never any doubt we were going to take her to Muncy,” he said.
“He doesn’t mind putting the work in Muncy, he jumps on and rides them at track work, which builds a lot of trust with us owners, he was the man for the job.”
Jockey Ryan Wiggins was forced to take the filly back and find cover from the gate, but said the filly relished the open expanses of Eagle Farm today.
“She enjoys the room and is a tough little horse and she had to draw on every bit of that strength in the straight today,” Wiggins said.
“She doesn’t look like she’s going to be any champion, but she’s got a heart of gold and tries her guts out, she’ll win plenty of races.”
“My mother in law has a share in it, so it was like winning another Group One today.”