Chris Munce jumps for joy after Ours To Keep scores impressive win

CHRIS Munce channelled Gary Moore as he did a victory lap around the mounting yard after his exciting colt Ours To Keep bolted in on debut on Saturday.

Ours To Keep dashes away to score an impressive win at Doomben on Saturday. Picture: Natasha Wood, Trackside Photography

CHRIS Munce channelled Gary Moore as he did a victory lap around the mounting yard after his exciting colt Ours To Keep bolted in on debut at Doomben on Saturday.

Munce immediately tabled Magic Millions plans for the son of Seidnazar, who had more than four lengths to spare over his rivals when clocking a slick 60.58 sec for the 1050m.

EPSOM: BOLT FROM THE BLUE

The time was more than a second quicker than that clocked by Real Princess in the fillies division. While Munce failed to run on to the track like Moore did after Takedown’s win in Sydney, his excitement was at a similar level, given the story of the aptly named Ours To Keep.

“You’ve got no idea what we’ve been through with this horse,” Munce said. “It’s just unbelievable. I bought him for a group of owners in Sydney, but they left me holding him.

“I talked it over with (wife) Cathy and we decided to keep him and fortunately a good friend of mine Gary Lawrence came in and took 50 per cent.”

The excited trainer paid tribute to his team at Caloundra in the education process of the colt.

“It hasn’t been ideal what we’ve had at Eagle Farm, so all of the two-year-olds have been educated at Caloundra and it’s a credit to the staff up there what they’ve done. All I’ve had to do since he came to Brisbane was trim up a few rough edges. He’s a cracking colt this.”

Munce said the colt is “still for sale” but as jockey Damian Browne shrewdly pointed out, “the price just went up a whole lot from last week”.

Browne was taken by the performance and said he is anything but a “squibby” two-year-old, as he has the scope to keep improving.

“I haven’t ridden a two-year-old with that type of scope or as well educated since I was riding for the Snowdens,” Browne said. “It feels like he’s had half a dozen starts already. He has a lovely big stride, covers a lot of ground and has a fair bit of upside.”

Despite Buffering’s miss in Friday’s Moir in Melbourne, the Rob Heathcote stable still celebrated a weekend victory with a nine-year-old after Jopa defied a betting drift to land the Open Handicap.

Jopa eased to $21 on track, but under Bridget Grylls found the line in the last stride to land his ninth Doomben win. After missing out at Eagle Farm, punters tipped in again on David Vandyke’s Emerald City with better results this time in the BM75 2200m.

Emerald City was a $3.30 to $2.60 firmer on track.

Originally published as Chris Munce jumps for joy after Ours To Keep scores impressive win