ABOUT MUNCE RACING
After a successful riding career jockey rider Chris Munce on the 7th January 2015 swapped the saddle for the stop watch and took control of 20 boxes at stables based at Hendra next to Queensland's premier training complex - Eagle Farm Racecourse.
Chris Munce is a remarkable horseman !
Despite riding for less than 6 months and training for just over 6 months in the 2014-15 racing season, Chris Munce achieved a unique record that will be almost impossible to be topped.
Chris rode 19 metro winners placing him in 17th position on the 2014-15 premiership and then - Chris trained 9.5 metro winners placing him in 19th position on the 2014-15 premiership.
Chris Munce was therefore a Top 20 Queensland metropolitan Jockey and Trainer in the 2014-15 racing season.
With a riding career than spanned just shy of 30 years, Chris competed and succeeded at the pinnacle of racing and is now committed to achieve these same results from the trainer's side of the fence.
Establishing a long list of riding honours, Chris' achievements included 42 Group 1 wins culminating in the 'Big Four' – Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, Golden Slipper and Caulfield Cup.
The team at Munce Racing are excited by its new journey and invite you to join them as they strive to achieve success in the Queensland training ranks for their owners.
Chris trained his first runner named Forest Way on 17 January 2015. A character building run, with that horse finished down the track. The passion burned bright within Team Munce to train their first winner and they didn’t need to wait long.
Like a duck to water, his first winner was a Metropolitan Winner - when Specific Choice saluted on 25 February 2015 and then, his first Saturday Metropolitan Winner was Perplexity on 14 March 2015 - Both these metropolitan winners were entrusted to his care by Dynamic Syndications thanks to their team’s loyal teams of Co-Owners.
Chris in his first season as a trainer which was only a handful of days over 6 months, trained 9.5 metro winners from only 47 runners placing him in 19th position in the top 20 trainers in Brisbane.
Incredibly however - Chris Munce had the overall
BEST STRIKE RATE of all Queensland Trainers recording a sensational 21.3%
- a massive 2.7% clear of his closest peer.
To commence his training career Chris Munce only has 15 horses in work which allows his team to give a maximum hands-on approach to his equine team.
Chris has trained the following 12 horses to win in his First Season as a Trainer (in order):
Specific Choice - Chris' First Winner ! (mid-week Eagle Farm meeting transferred to Ipswich)
1. SPECIFIC CHOICE, 2. LUCKY BLACK, 3. PERPLEXITY, 4. RILE, 5. LUCKY BLACK, 6. PERPLEXITY, 7. FOREST WAY, 8. SNIPPET'S CAVIAR, 9. WICKED INTENT, 10. SAVANNAH DREAM, 11. FAICONI, 12. TWISTED MOUNTAIN.
Perplexity - Chris' First Metro Saturday Winner (Eagle Farm meeting transferred to Gold Coast)
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Perplexity - Chris' Second Doomben (Saturday) Winner
About Chris Munce - Horse Trainer
Queensland trainer Chris Munce was born on 17 May 1969 at Casino, New South Wales.
He later moved to Sydney to take up full time racing opportunities, becoming one of Australia's all-time great jockey's.
During his early days, Chris' happy disposition and likeable personality ensured he built strong connections with many in the Sydney racing fraternity, which resulted in Chris being offered many mounts from owners and trainers.
Over the past couple of years, Chris Munce held a desire to give the saddle away and try his hand polishing racehorses into racetrack heroes.
Unlike most jockey's that change their career path based on necessity after losing the weight battle, this was certainly not the case for Chris.
He had a hunger to be a trainer which was growing day-by-day. The fact his wife Cathy worked in the racing stables of her father Barry Mitchell gave Chris a greater insight to the training routine and the hard work needed to be successful at this transition.
Chris announced his retirement and hung up his saddle after a 29 year riding career after the Magic Millions Raceday at the Gold Coast on the 7th January 2015.
The next day he took over the reins of a training stable, allowing him to continue his childhood passion of being involved with horses and racing.
Chris Munce having been granted a trainers licence, took over the stables from his father-in-law Barry Mitchell and hung the new sign MUNCE RACING on the door.
His first runner was on 17 January 2015.
Chris Munce - as a jockey
Chris had a highly successful career.
His early Gr1 triumphs were in the Epsom Handicap in 1995 and 1997, the Goodwood Handicap in 1996, the AJC Metropolitan Handicap in 1996 and 2000 and the Stradbroke Handicap in 1997 and 2000.
He also won the Doomben 10,000 in 1997 and two (2) Golden Slipper Stakes in 1998 and 2004.
Chris Munce's dream came true in the 1998 Melbourne Cup when he steered Jezabeel to victory, earning his connections the $1,680,000 plus trophies.
He also won the Gr1 Doncaster Handicap in 2000.
In 2004, apart from the Golden Slipper (as mentioned previously), Chris also captured the Sires Produce Stakes, Spring Champion Stakes and Champagne Stakes but there was one more gem to add to his resume.
Chris Munce won the 2004 W.S. Cox Plate upon SAVABEEL and this is where his friendship with Dynamic Syndications boss Dean Watt struck its foundation.
Dean Watt had syndicated Savabeel, a yearling purchased from the Magic Millions the year before for $400,000. Dean was also the Racing Manager for that large Randwick stable. With Savabeel only a 3yo in the Spring and with the race run under Weight-For-Age conditions, that meant a need for a natural light weighted rider who could make the 48.5kgs and who was also an exceptionally good judge of early tempo.
To the Savabeel team there was only one answer - book "Muncy" and the rest is history !
Cox Plate Victory !
Savabeel was ridden a treat and together - Dean and Chris made history, banked $2,020,000 for our owners and put the Cox Plate on the mantelpiece.
His other major Gr1 wins include the 2006 Salinger Stakes and the LKS MacKinnon Stakes.
His shot at the Grand Slam came in the 2010 Caulfield Cup, where he partnered the Gai Waterhouse trained Descarado to victory with another well timed ride.
Chris Munce and Mick Dittman share the record in the Magic Millions Classic with three wins each.
Chris Munce won on Sunblazer in 1989, Excellerator in 2001 and Dance Hero in 2004.
Melbourne Cup - Cox Plate - Golden Slipper - Caulfield Cup
Having won 42 Group 1 races including the Big Four – Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, Golden Slipper and Caulfield Cup, recorded under the polishing and training of great Australian trainers such as Gai Waterhouse and Bart Cummings, Chris’ ability to guide a horse to a success is assurance that will lead to factual evidence - of how he will approach and succeed with his new career of training horses.
Munce Racing stables back onto Doomben racecourse, which is across the road from Eagle Farm Racecourse - an ideal location as it is close to major training tracks of Eagle Farm and Doomben, the swimming facilities and a trip to the beach is less than 10 minutes away.
Chris also takes full advantage of having his horse do their early pre-training at Caloundra which is only an hour up the road.
About - Cathy Munce
Wife / Stable Foreperson / Racing Manager
Cathy was born into a racing family and was destined to have an association with the horses.
From the time she could walk, Cathy was not far from a horse, usually on her pony - a gift from her racehorse training father - Barry Mitchell.
Cathy quickly developed a love and passion of horses and has devoted much of her life working with racehorse and show horses. Cathy is also an accomplished equestrian rider and has achieved great success in events all over Australia.
But her great love (apart from Chris and their kids) has always been with racehorses, many with her Chris in the saddle.
Cathy is passionate about the horses and confident of the future of Munce Racing.
Cathy is not one to take the back seat. Cathy is usually found at the stables, sleeves rolled up, doing the hard work of: mucking out stables, washing, grooming and dressing horses, exercising and swimming their horses, feeding up, all before 9:00am where she then heads to the office to commence a day of administration duties before returning to the stables at 2:00pm for the afternoon shift.
Family businesses are key to success in the thoroughbred industry. It's team work, it's going the extra mile, to make a decision and then its application to ensure success.
It's the doing - during the day and then, the review that night over the dinner table. It's the countless after hours work and discussions that go on behind the scenes, the thinking, the processing, the managing that allows the task to be achieved
It's the Reward For Effort - That culminates in racetrack success for our owners.
Facilities:
Munce Racing is located in close proximity to the Eagle Farm racecourse located along on the outskirts of the state’s capital Brisbane close to the coastline.
With all major racecourses located nearby, our training complex allows our horses to be in a relaxed environment while being in close proximity to the Queensland race meetings.
Eagle Farm racecourse is managed by the Brisbane Racing Club which conducts 89 race meetings per season and is the premier Queensland racecourse. Undergoing major renovation work due for completion by May 2016, this will become Australia's premier facility for training and racing.
Stable Block # 1
Accommodation for 20 horses in training at any one time - Munce Racing offers an ideal number to be able to allow for personalised one-on-one attention for every horse.
The boutique operation while having access to the on-course facilities is also located close to nearby beaches that are regularly used by Chris and Cathy and are effective in their training regime.
"Chris feels his stable complex will enable all varieties of horses to thrive and can offer a variety of training methods to achieve these winning result"
Our stable has access to numerous training surfaces at Eagle Farm racecourse.
Walker
Munce Racing Facilities Include:
12 open air stables attached to their home - so they are always with their horses.
8 Spacious day yards with shelters
4 Horse Walker
8 horse truck
3 horse float
Eagle Farm & Doomben Training Facilities