Cool Archie delivers Group 1 milestones for jockey Martin Harley and father-son trainers Chris and Corey Munce in JJ Atkins

Irish jockey Martin Harley will head to Royal Ascot with his first Australian Group 1 success as Cool Archie’s win in the JJ Atkins also gave Chris and Corey Munce their first major together.

Martin Harley scored his first Group 1 in Australia with Cool Archie takes in the JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Trackside Photography

Almost 10 years after winning his last Group 1 at Royal Ascot, Irish jockey Martin Harley will head to the famous racetrack in England next week as the JJ Atkins champion after producing a peach of a ride on local hero Cool Archie at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Harley thought he had got to the front too soon but he need not have worried as he sustained the pace to secure the winner’s cheque in the $1m major over 1600m for father-and-son trainers Chris and Corey Munce.

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“He’s going home to Ireland tonight so I’m tipping he’ll be pretty pissed,” colourful owner Max Whitby said about Harley at the post-race presentation.

Harley, who suffered a potentially career-threatening broken neck in a sickening mid-week race fall in January 2023, will return home to Ireland on Saturday night and then visit Royal Ascot in London for their big summer carnival races.

Martin won the last of his now six Group 1 victories in the 2015 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and has added majors in France, Ireland and now Australia.

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“It’s been almost 10 years to the day that I had my last Group 1 winner at Royal Ascot so I’ll take the anniversary over here,” Harley said.

“I’m on a plane tonight going back for Royal Ascot. And I might fly that plane myself tonight after that.”

The racing wheel turned full circle with Cool Archie’s win, given Chris Munce had won the race as a jockey when he partnered Sizzling in 2012.

The stirring victory was the first Group 1 triumph as a training team for father-and-son combination Chris and Corey Munce.

Cool Archie WINS the G1 J.J. Atkins! 🏆@munceracingpic.twitter.com/X0oBUWkZB0

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025

Outside the winner, the run of the race was runner-up Hidden Achievement, the Chris Waller-trained, Yulong-owned colt.

Hidden Achievement was slow away and rattled home from the back with James McDonald, who had been battling illness during the day, saying the colt was a hard-luck story.

Hidden Achievement, wearing blinkers for the first time, was an eye-catcher and so too was third-placed Bevan Laming-trained youngster Call Da Vinci who gave young jockey Jaden Lloyd a first Group 1 placing.

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“You can’t do it without the horse, he wears his heart on his sleeve. ” Harley said.

“Team Munce have been massive supporters of mine and we came across a good two-year-old this year.

“I think the horse has done most of the talking. He’s taken a big step forward each run and that’s what the good ones do.

“But to transform from a Heavy 10 to a Good 4 there today, which I knew he would handle, I never had any doubt in that. But what a superstar he is.”

Chris Munce said Harley deserved more recognition for his abilities as a jockey and should be talked about as one of the top riders in Australia.

Harley celebrates with trainers Corey and Chris Munce and owner Max Whitby. Picture: Trackside Photography

“Oh, what about that? So good, so good,” a jubilant Munce said.

“I was saying before it’s not just about Corey and me, it’s the whole team, the staff, and I don’t think Martin (Harley) has had enough recognition either, the whole way along.

“He’s five from five (On Cool Archie).

“When you put a rider like Martin on, you’ve got so much confidence. He walked the track yesterday. He told us exactly how he was going to ride the horse.

“He knew they weren’t making ground, so we had to ride him a little bit out of his comfort zone, but what a win.”

Victorian trainer Danny O’Brien explained his reasons for running his colt Brave Design in the earlier Listed Oxlade Stakes (1200m), which he won with ease to break his maiden status, rather than the JJ Atkins.

“I was concerned about the 1600m,” O’Brien said.

“I was happy enough to stick to the 1200m. If he ran fourth or fifth in the JJ Atkins, then you’d be kicking yourself that he could’ve won this race.

“He’s got a good future. He ran second in the VRC Sires’ to Vinrock (at Flemington in March) and ran a good race here two weeks ago (fourth in the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm).

“He’s been in stakes races his whole life. He’ll win a decent race. He’s absolutely grown up and he’s become a real racehorse.”

Originally published as Cool Archie delivers Group 1 milestones for jockey Martin Harley and father-son trainers Chris and Corey Munce in JJ Atkins