Little Dance hope Outback Gladiator will be looking to give Chris Munce Melbourne Cup day success as a trainer, 24 years after his memorable Cup-winning ride on Jezabeel.
Munce etched his name in racing history when he rode Jezabeel in 1998, which featured one of the great betting plunges involving the late Kerry Packer.
Munce admitted he was still stopped by Melbourne locals when in town last week and asked how Jezabeel, who was crunched late with the bookies less than an hour before start time, held off Champagne to land the cash.
Outback Gladiator is no Jezabeel, but Munce knows the prizemoney on offer in Sydney was too good to refuse.
To put the Little Dance’s prizemoney into perspective, the $287,000 winner’s cheque is well north of the $200,000 Persian Punch’s owners collected for running third in the Cup behind Jezabeel and Champagne all those years ago when that race actually did stop the nation.
“This is a $500,000 race for restricted horses, and that’s why the owners were more than happy to go there – they think it is a great idea and incentive for those horses who don’t get into the Big Dance,” Munce said.
Trainer Chris Munce is chasing success on Melbourne Cup Day – again.Credit:Getty Images
“He’s a good, honest galloper who hasn’t drawn the best, but he will parade well, present well, and if he gets some luck, he will give his owners a good sight.”
As for that unforgettable Cup ride, Munce said: “It was only my second-ever ride in the Cup, so I was still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed going into it.
“Champagne went by me, but she didn’t run the two miles out strongly while my mare did.
“My horse had opened a big price, and even after her Caulfield [lead-up] run she was still around 25-1 or 30-1. I remember all the jockeys being called into the stewards’ room as you do on the day of the race, just to be reminded about how we needed to keep them straight.
Career highlight: Chris Munce celebrates his 1998 Melbourne Cup triumph on Jezabeel.Credit:AFP
“By the time I walked into the room and walked back out, one of the local jockeys came up to me and said, ‘Muncey, there’s been money on your horse, and she’s into favouritism’.
“I was only interested in winning the race. Some people could have let that [favouritism] get to them a bit, but all I wanted to do was win the Melbourne Cup.
“Winning that race does change your life.”
Munce said he never heard from Packer, and was not even certain it was the media tycoon’s money behind the plunge.
He is already eyeing some long-range Sydney success with his unbeaten filly Miss Coota, who is being set for the Magic Millions before hopefully progressing to the Golden Slipper.
Munce said it was hard to ignore the form of favourite Deauville Legend in the Cup but Vow And Declare, the 2019 winner, had caught the eye last start, and already proven himself over the 3200m.
