The Chris and Corey Munce stable didn’t necessarily need a confidence boost ahead of a potentially big day at Toowoomba on Saturday, where they have live chances in both the Weetwood Handicap and Toowoomba Cup, but they got one anyway when the lightly weighted Carravilla took out the Lismore Cup to kick off their weekend in style.
The win was a fitting reward for Carravilla’s consistency, coming on the back of two runner-up finishes and a third placing from her previous three starts, during which she had never finished more than a length behind the winner.
A significant share of the credit for the Lismore Cup victory went to emerging apprentice Archie McColm, who produced a polished ride aboard the Team Munce-trained runner.
While he had a horse underneath him weighted to run a big race, McColm directed Carravilla ($4.40 second favourite) with confidence and control beyond his years.
After jumping from the wide barrier 10, McColm got Carravilla away quickly before doing enough to have her settle in a handy fourth position through the early stages.
He then allowed the mare to improve steadily before moving up to challenge for the lead in the early part of the home straight.
McColm asked Carravilla to go through her gears and she duly built winning momentum, first taking the measure of $61 Aussie bookies outsider Do It For You, who had struck the front halfway up the straight, before kicking strongly to hold off the late charge of $3.30 favourite Fukubana by 0.30 lengths.
By getting first run on Fukubana, who was carrying a substantial 10kg more than Carravilla (62kg to 52kg), McColm ensured his mount could make full use of her significant weight advantage while forcing the favourite to carry his heavy impost throughout a tough chase to the line.
Carravilla is now a six-time winner with nine minor placings from 24 starts.
The victory also gave McColm the second leg of a winning double after the young rider had earlier saluted aboard the Robert Heathcote-trained Aurora Blaze.
