By Jordan Gerrans
Returning a more mature mare with improved racing manners, trainer Chris Munce has high hopes for Palaisipan through the TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival.
The daughter of So You Think carries an impressive resume in the early stages of her career, winning five from seven, including a victory second-up at Ipswich earlier this month.
Former champion hoop turned trainer Munce now has higher honours in mind for the four-year-old bay with her next task to be The Gateway.
The Gateway will be run at Eagle Farm this Saturday, providing a ‘win and you’re in’ for four-year-olds into the Stradbroke Handicap.
The Munce stable were just beaten in the second edition of the race last year – Stampe rolled in a photo-finish by Central Queenslander Master Jamie – with the team keen to go one better in 2021.
Palaisipan was nominated for both The Gateway and the Listed Just Now on Saturday before the Eagle Farm-based trainer opted for the $250,000 event.
“It was quite exciting,” Munce said of the concept of The Gateway.
“It is a good way of getting into the Stradbroke, we were narrowly knocked of last year with Stampe, the second year they did it so hopefully we can go one better this year.
“Palaisipan’s original plan was the 1350-metre Just Now.”
Palaisipan put four in a line to commence her career – including claiming the T.L. Cooney at for three-year-olds on Ipswich Cup day – before finishing well back in the field in the Sunshine Coast Guineas at the end of her first preparation as a racehorse.
Munce notes that Palaisipan was ready for a break before her tilt at the Group 3 event at Caloundra and has been impressed with the way she has returned, finishing second first-up last month at Doomben before returning to her favourite track – Ipswich – where she won well as the favourite second-up.
“She went really well last Friday, that was basically a barrier trial for her,” Munce said of her most recent run at Ipswich.
“I had to make a decision whether to run her in the race at Doomben, where she was not guaranteed of getting a run in, so we had to make an early call on that.
“We elected to go to Ipswich and it was more like a barrier trial for her, it was not the strongest field, but for her to win the way she did from back in the ruck when she was getting buffeted around, she picked herself up nicely and finished off good. She is an exciting mare.”
The 52-year-old Munce feels the progressive Palaisipan is better placed this preparation to shoot for black-type honours, describing her upcoming summer campaign as “pretty exciting”.