Chris Munce will rest Cool Archie during spring for possible tilt at the Group 1 Doncaster Mile next year

Chris Munce believes colt Cool Archie could be anything, which is why he has decided to bypass the spring carnival to focus on a major Group 1 in the autumn.

Chris Munce has made the call to skip the spring carnival with his exceptional young Group 1-winning colt Cool Archie, with exciting dreams of next year’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile potentially in mind.

Cool Archie took the Queensland winter carnival by storm, winning five races on the bounce culminating in the Group 1 JJ Atkins.

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The young colt showed amazing versatility, winning on wet and dry tracks and races from 1000m to 1600m, and he would be a great pick to score Australian 2YO horse of the year honours.

Cool Archie could have been a major spring carnival player in elite three-year-old races but Munce, who co-trains with his son Corey, has made the call to opt out of the spring.

Munce had been contemplating resting Cool Archie from the spring for several weeks, but said he had not made the definitive call until now.

He is wary the young colt had a bumper 2024/25 season, with a five-race winter carnival mission and also a summer campaign when he raced in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

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Munce, the legendary former jockey turned trainer, said he will most likely bring Cool Archie back for a couple of runs in the summer and then the autumn carnival.

The prestigious Doncaster Mile could be a target.

What a run, what a horse ⭐️

Cool Archie takes out the G1 Ladbrokes JJ Atkins for Team Munce & Martin Harley 👏 pic.twitter.com/cEB6dTOxuP

— Ladbrokes Australia (@ladbrokescomau) June 14, 2025

“I’m mindful that he has had a long two-year-old campaign and I don’t think I should be rushing him back just because it’s the spring carnival,” Munce said.

“He will probably only have a couple of runs over the summer and concentrate more on the autumn.

“We would look at a race like the Doncaster, if he is going well enough, three-year-old horses have a good record in it.

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“Realistically, I think this could be what works for him.

“My heart is in the position where I just want to look after him for the moment, considering he did such a good job over the winter and he had some pretty hard runs.

“Not only that, but he had been campaigning for the Magic Millions, which then rolled into the winter.

“The horse has always looked to be like he is going to be a better three-year-old anyway.”

JJ Atkins winner Cool Archie won’t be seen this spring. Picture: Trackside Photography

Given Cool Archie’s stunning CV, Munce believes the dynamic colt should be strongly considered for Australian 2YO horse of the year honours.

“I think if they (judges) are fair dinkum, he has to be,” Munce said.

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“It’s been a long time, probably since the likes of a horse like Dance Hero, since a two-year-old has been as dominant as Cool Archie has been.

“I’m not saying he is the same as Dance Hero.

“But what I am saying is this season, he has probably been the dominant two-year-old.

“How many other two-year-olds this season have won five consecutive races on different surfaces, different conditions and different distances?

“He’s gone from a maiden to a Group 1.”

Originally published as Chris Munce will rest Cool Archie during spring for possible tilt at the Group 1 Doncaster Mile next year