La Machane took home a 2YO award on Wednesday night
Jack Munnerly’s week didn’t start too well, but the in-form owner has got high hopes a couple of events this week will brighten his mood.
The first came on Wednesday night at the Victorian Horse of the Year awards where Munnerly’s star fillies La Machane and Secret Desire, who he races with wife Nola, battled with Louvre in the race for Victorian 2YO Filly of the Year honours. La Machane triumphed, much to Munnerly's delight.
Then, tonight at Melton’s Tabcorp Park, one of the Munnerlys other females, Forest Babe, will chase metropolitan success in the $15,000 VHRSC Pace (2240m).
They will be a welcome distraction after the drama of Kilmore Cup Day. Munnerly, who was on track to watch his tough gelding Johnorama contest the Popular Alm Sprint, had a nasty fall early in the day.
He had to be tended to by on-course paramedics and was rushed to the Northern Hospital, resulting in all races at Kilmore being put back one.
Munnerly was dazed after bumping his head and banged up several of his 82-year-old limbs and while not serious, they prevented him from being at Tabcorp Park for the awards earlier this week.
But they won’t prevent him from cheering for Forest Babe on Friday night with the Chris Alford-trained-and-driven former Argent Classic winner chasing a hat-trick of wins after rediscovering her best form in October.
“She’s going well, isn’t she?” Munnerly said of the five-year-old. “Chris’s found the key to her again, although, mind you, she has had little niggling problems along the way.
“She put a nail in her foot and then got a cold at the wrong time and all this sort of thing, but he (Chris) did say he had her going well.”
The daughter of Modern Art returned to the winner’s list with an emphatic win at Bendigo on October 5 before unleashing a 1:55.4 win over 1650m at the same track seven days later.
She will start from barrier two in the mares-only M0/M1 event that has also attracted similarly in-form rivals Village Spy (3), Total Asset (4) and Flylika Bird Lombo (6) and another last-start winner, Peaces Of You (9).
The VHRSC Pace is one of eight races on a Tabcorp Park card that also heralds the return of former champion youngster Captain Joy in the $15,000 Mittys Pace (2240m) for the M2/M4 performers.
Captain Joy’s brother was an unlikely contender for one of Wednesday night's awards with the pacing-bred Lightning Joy squaring off against The Bohemian and Elegant Image for the 3YO Trotting Colt or Gelding of the Year award.
That was one of 11 equine awards presented on a night where Inter Dominion winner Smoken Up was crowned Victorian Horse of the Year ahead of Sushi Sushi and Sundons Gift.
As for the category Munnerly has contenders in, he very much favoured Greg Sugars-trained Tatlow Stakes winner and Breeders Crown runner-up La Machane over Vicbred Super Series champion Secret Desire, who is prepared by Amy Tubbs, as the pick of his two.
Speaking earlier in the week, Jack said, “Without being biased, if La Machane doesn’t get it there’s something wrong,” he said. “She never won a Group 1 but in two Group 1s she ran second and she was beaten a short half head in one and a neck in the other when she was beaten by Cowgirls N Indians.”
