The Carpenter overcomes interrupted journey to win maiden race at the Gold Coast for Chris Munce

An accident on the M1 nearly cost The Carpenter a start before going on to claim his maiden win at the Gold Coast for trainer Chris Munce.

AN accident on the M1 nearly cost The Carpenter a start before going on to claim his maiden win at the Gold Coast.

The gelding had a dramatic lead up to Saturday’s QTIS Three-Years-Old Maiden Plate (1200m) at Aquis Park but managed to overcome a trip spanning more than two hours in the horse float to win by a length.

The Chris Munce-trained runner was scheduled to start in the second race of the meeting but was briefly in doubt when an accident on the highway barely gave the horse enough time to be quickly examined by vets and cleared to start before racing.

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“It took them nearly two-and-a-half hours or more,” Munce said of staff making the journey.

“At one stage they rang me and it had been an hour-and-three-quarters and they were only just getting passed Dreamworld. It was a bit of a rushed trip but he made it.”

The Carpenter made his racing debut as a two-year-old in October last year, finishing third on a heavy track at Doomben over 1050m before being spelled and putting together a disappointing second preparation.

Winner of Race 2 The Carpenter ridden by Scott Galloway at the Gold Coast Turf Club. (Photo/Steve Holland)

But he bounced back to win first-up on the weekend in what Munce described as a brave run.

“Scotty (Galloway) gave him a great ride, he was just in behind the speed,” Munce said.

“The leader (Heart’s Denied) hung off the track on the corner but he still saved ground and I thought the horse was brave in the way he kept coming and hit the line really well.

“He is an improving type. His first run in a race was very good.

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“The track was a bit wet and he hit the line really good. We spelled him and brought him back and he just never came back.

“He was growing through a growth spurt and every time we would get him to a point he would go sore.

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“He had two runs and was probably disappointing both times. This time we gelded him and he seems to have come back in good order.

“He needed time to grow and mature. It seems to have helped him.”

Munce said he would take The Carpenter through his grades, with a likely return coming in two or three weeks in a Class 1 over a similar distance.