As has been well documented, there have been a number of subtle changes in the trainers ranks for the new season including, amongst others, two high profile stables realigning their positions with Paul Snowden stepping away from the Snowden training partnership, leaving his father Peter in sole charge as he was before … while the Annabel Neasham yard went to other way with Neasham now branching out into a partnership with Rob Archibald.
In Queensland, Steven O’Dea has left the successful training partnership he enjoyed with Matthew Hoysted (Hoysted had his first winner as a trainer in his on right at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday) and Chris Munce has taken his son Corey on board as a training partner, as the stable looks to continue building the momentum it has gathered in recent seasons.
“We went with the new season. It was just a question of getting the timing right for the business,” said Corey Munce, explaining the decision to form a training partnership with his dad at this time.
“It’s something we have probably spoken about for a few years now. My dad brought it up in conversation, so the suggestion to form a partnership came more from him.
“I wasn’t ever going to pressure him, because that is not what I’m like, but obviously it is a nice step for me. It’s a natural progression for the stable, I guess.
‘It’s great for me to be helping out my family, but I also really love what I do, and I think I bring positive motivation. I have got a high drive to succeed. I just want to win.
“Dad and I work very well together. The stable’s growing every year and our quality of horses is also getting better and better every year.
“Being successful … winning … can bring more horses into the stable. We had more winners last season than the season before. We’ve got forty-six horses in town at the moment, and we’ve got more out on our farm, so number-wise we are also going well.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to the new season.”
*Chris Munce finished fifth in the Brisbane Metropolitan Trainer’s Premiership in 2023/24 … up from eighth place in 2022/23 with an increase of eleven winners (23 to 34). The stable’s number of winners on the Provincial scene was also up from 19 to 24.
