Trainer Chris Munce delays Magic Millions call with Brookhaven

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Chris Munce will delay making a call on a Magic Millions Guineas campaign with talented three-year-old Brookhaven until after the gelding runs at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Munce will be at Caulfield on Saturday hopeful Palaisipan can win the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes but will have one eye on the Brisbane meeting as he weighs up his Magic Millions Guineas options with Brookhaven in the QTIS Three-Year-Plate over 1400 metres.

“I want to see how Brookhaven goes on Saturday before I decide whether we push on to the Magic Millions Guineas,” Munce said.

“It’s quite possible we could miss the Magic Millions and concentrate on next year’s winter with him.

“He’s a big striding horse and will be better over further ground and he doesn’t need a lot of work.

“He was beaten last preparation by Basquiat, who is an expensive horse of Chris Waller’s, and he’s not really a 1200 metre horse.

“If he goes to the Magic Millions Guineas he’d probably be my main chance in the race.”

Brookhaven, a Justin Huxtable mount, is a son of Spieth and is chasing his second win in four starts when he stretches out to 1400 metres for the first time.

Brookhaven was having his first start since May and was in the second half of the field before unleashing a powerful finishing burst to collar the Les Kelly-trained Rapid Outlaw at the Sunshine Coast last month.

Rapid Outlaw has since franked the form, winning her maiden at the Gold Coast last Saturday.

Brookhaven was a $37,500 buy at the Magic Millions sales on the Gold Coast and is raced in a syndicate headed by Munce’s wife Cathy, who part-owned former star sprinter Brave Warrior.

Munce has a strong team of babies in his stable, including She’s A Rogue, who will start in the QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap and last week’s Eagle Farm winner Miss Coota, who is headed for the Magic Millions Classic.

Munce believes She’s A Rogue, who will be ridden by Michael Cahill, should have won when she debuted with a close second to the Les Ross-trained Mishani Renegade over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm on October 1.

“She took fright at the winning post and should have won,” Munce said.

“She’ll have a freshen up after this race but she probably needs to win to make sure she’s got enough prize money to get into the Magic Millions.”

Munce won three Magic Millions Classic as a jockey aboard Sunblazer (1989), Excellerator (2001) and Dance Hero in 2004.

He was supposed to ride Brave Warrior in his 1994 Classic win but was hurt in a fall on the day and was replaced by the late Neil Williams.