O'Tooles dreaming of Magic Millions success

By Jordan Gerrans

Gerry O'Toole’s long-term vision is poised to pay big dividends this Saturday afternoon on the Gold Coast.

The Brisbane-based Gerry has been a client of Eagle Farm trainer Chris Munce over the last few years, racing a dozen or so horses with the former champion hoop.

In Munce’s words, the horses Gerry has raced before this year did not show too much on the track.

In a bid to get his wife - Debbie - more involved and engaged in his hobby of horse racing, Gerry needed to change his approach to ownership.

Debbie did not like that most of the horses the family owned were boys.

She wanted a filly or two.

So, Gerry went to the Magic Millions sales of last year with the intention of purchasing a female yearling that he could gift to his beloved wife.

He outlaid $140,000 and was able to find the youngster that would become Miss Coota, who is considered a leading Queensland hope for Saturday’s $2 million 2YO Classic.

Did the plan work?

Is Debbie more interested in racing these days?

“I am up at night now looking through all the horse information and all the prize money of other horses to see how we fit in to it all leading into the Magic Millions,” Debbie said with a laugh.

“The idea to get me more involved in Gerry’s interest has certainly worked.”

Debbie has been and remains a part-owner alongside her husband Gerry with all the other gallopers they have raced with Munce over the last couple of years.

Miss Coota – a winner of two from three starts – is the only horse she has owned on her own.

Debbie and her star filly are also eligible for the Magic Millions Racing Women’s Bonus in Saturday’s show-piece event.

The fledgling horse owner is a humble school teacher from Moggill State School in Brisbane as her filly aims to upset some of the biggest stables and ownership groups in the country on Saturday.

“I realise how lucky it is because of the large number of horses that are out there and to have one that actually goes well,” she said.

“You are very lucky to have a horse like that.”

The O'Tooles have opted to stick with local rider Justin Huxtable in Saturday’s 1200 metre dash.

Huxtable – a Munce stable rider - has developed a close bond with the ownership group and described the opportunity as a pleasure and privilege as well as declaring he was grateful.

“They are lovely people and they have always been great to me,” Huxtable said.

“I have a really good relationship with them on a friend basis – not just between a jockey and an owner.

“We have always got along very well and it is a great connection to have.”

Munce is glad the O'Tooles have been rewarded for their persistence with a speedy baby in Miss Coota.

“She is a filly that has gone to the next level for them,” Munce said.

“They have turned out to be great clients, they are very easy to deal with and are lovely people.

“They have put a lot of money into the game and industry before getting this filly so it certainly does not come undeserved.”

Debbie is a regular down at the Munce stables at Eagle Farm, getting to know all their horses, but most importantly the daughter of Spirit Of Boom.

“She was gorgeous and we liked her,” Debbie said of picking her out at the sales last year.

“It all worked out.

“She is absolutely gorgeous and like a pet – she is the nicest out of all the horses we have had.”

Debbie teaches a bit of everything at Moggill State School but mostly focuses on physical education.

She originally hails from Cootamundra in country NSW, which is where the moniker “Miss Coota” comes from for her horse. 

The up-and-coming filly was the talk of Moggill and Cootamundra in the later months of 2022 as the two-year-old progressed through the early stages of her career.

“There is some people at school that know about horse racing, they know about her, but other than that, we have kept it quiet,” Debbie said.

“It is all so new so you don’t want to be telling people to bet on your horse when you are not sure how they will go.

“I have a few really good friends from school who are coming to watch the race on Saturday.

“There are friends coming up from Cootamundra to be there for the race, as well.

“It is all very exciting and a great day out at the races.”

With the Magic Millions sales for 2023 kicking off on Tuesday, the O'Tooles have been busy on the Glitter Strip of Australia inspecting their next purchase or two for Munce to prepare.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the TAB has Miss Coota rated as a $21 chance in Saturday’s Classic.

After legend hoop Craig Williams rode Miss Coota in her most recent assignment, the connections and Munce have opted to go back to Huxtable for their grand final on Saturday.

The 22-year-old has been along for much of the journey with the filly, working with her through her education process before she progressed to the trials for her first public outings.

“Once she started to put it all together and get closer to her jump outs and barrier trials, she definitely started to put in a couple of gallops that gave me and Chris a bit of an eye opener,” Huxtable recalls.

“From that, we thought she might be something special.

“She has shown that since.”

Munce is aiming to claim the rare double as a Magic Millions winning trainer and jockey on Saturday.

As a rider, he won on Sunblazer in 1989, Excellerator in 2001 and Dance Hero in 2004.

He won the three-year-old edition of the Magic Millions as a trainer with Boomsara back in 2019.

After taking a number of chances to Aquis Park on Magic Millions day in recent years, Munce believes Miss Coota is his leading chance yet to add a 2YO Classic title to his resume as a trainer.

“I thought she is one of the better hopes I have had going into the Magic Millions,” Munce said.

“She has had this race specifically in mind so we have kept her on the fresher side.

“She seems to be responding to it well.”

Debbie picked gate 18 at the official barrier draw on Tuesday morning at Surfers Paradise.