The countdown to become the first jockey to ride a century of Brisbane metropolitan winners in a season continues for Chris Munce at Doomben on Wednesday.
No jockey has ever ridden 100 winners in a season with former champion Mick Dittman holding the record with 97-1/2 wins, set in 1979-80.
Munce has a full book of seven rides on the program and is already in strong demand for Saturday’s metropolitan meeting where he’s booked to partner the Gai Waterhouse-trained Kinnersley in the Listed Ipswich Cup (2150m) and Belltone in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m).
But for Munce the immediate focus will be on Doomben where he hopes to extend on his 92 winners this season.
With 14 meetings remaining, Munce looks well on track for his historic bid provided he stays injury free and maintains his suspension-free season.
Munce’s task of setting a new benchmark has been made difficult by the influx of interstate and overseas riders for the Brisbane winter carnival and a reduction in metropolitan midweek meetings.
“I’ll be doing my best and I’m hopeful of getting to 100 winners,” Munce said.
“It has been very difficult as a lot of the midweek metropolitan meetings have been transferred to the provincials.”
Munce is already a member of the grand slam club, joining Neville Sellwood, Pat Hyland, Roy Higgins, Mick Dittman, Damien Oliver and Jim Cassidy.
Munce joined the select group after winning the 1998 Melbourne Cup on Jezabeel, Cox Plate on Savabeel (2004), two Golden Slippers aboard Prowl (1998) and Dance Hero (2004) and the Caulfield Cup on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Descarado in 2010.
Munce’s Doomben engagements are Utzon’s Vision (Yellowglen Maiden Plate), Alnediym (Sequalo@Lyndhurst Stud Maiden Hcp), You’re Serious (skyracing.tv Maiden Hcp), La Chorus (Mullins Lawyers Bloodstock Maiden Hcp), Bymonashee (Raine & Horne Hcp), Magic Shuffle (Bollinger Hcp) and Three Red Roses (www.brc.com.au Hcp).
Munce claimed Brisbane’s riding honours for a fourth time last season.
Of his seven rides, Munce’s best hopes of clawing his way to the record look to be in the opening event on Utzon’s Vision and in the final race on Three Red Roses.
Utzon’s Vision has been placed in four of his 10 starts including a first-up third at the Gold Coast on May 23 while the Toby Edmonds-trained Three Red Roses was third in a 1400-metre Class 4 on a heavy track at the Gold Coast last start.
