Trainer Chris Munce used an old tactic to coax a belated birthday present for himself out of one of his favourite horses Johnny Whitesox at the Gold Coast.
Munce, a 43-time Group One winning jockey before taking up training four years ago, turned 50 last Saturday.
He failed to get a winner on the milestone day but was just as happy to claim one a few days later.
Munce has always had a high opinion of Johnny Whitesox, a son of sire Show A Heart, who looked like a future top horse when he won three of his first five starts.
“His career hit a bit of a flat spot but he has come back well from a spell,” Munce said.
“Mind you, we jumped him over a few logs on Tuesday morning and that has focused him a bit. It seems to have been a winning tactic for horses for a long time.
“Johnny Whitesox is raced by a Shelley Hancox syndicate and she has been fantastic since I started training.”
Munce will now look at a return to Saturday city racing for Johnny Whitesox who won a Class 3 Plate on Wednesday.
Trainer Michael Costa and jockey Michael Cahill experienced the vagaries of racing within 45 minutes.
They combined to win a two-year-old race with promising Missionary Bay ($3.90) who made up for an unlucky first-up defeat with a strong win on a heavy track.
A $35,000 Inglis Classic Sale buy, Missionary Bay has been entered for the Group One JJ Atkins Stakes on June 8.
Costa and Cahill were then expected to make it a double in the next race, a maiden, with Set to Sizzle ($1.75).
However the gelding was slow to jump before finishing third, beaten 2-3/4 lengths.
Sydney jockey Blake Shinn continued his successful Queensland working holiday when he won a maiden on Addocarr.
Shinn relocated to Queensland for the winter from April 27 and Addocarr was his 13th winner from 39 rides.
