THE CHRIS AND COREY MUNCE TRAINING PARTNERSHIP LINES UP A DOUBLE DOSE OF GROUP 1 ACTION

By Graham Potter | Thursday, June 5, 2025

When the $51 chance Payline bullied his way through in an unceremonious fashion inside the last 100m of the Doomben 10 000 and then continued to storm to the line, after coming from last, to ultimately claim third place just half-a-length behind the winner Sunshine in Paris, his performance, as his price indicated, did surprise many people.

Co-trainer Corey Munce was not one of them.

“No, it didn’t surprise me on bit,” said Munce. “Without making it sound like a cliché, I can say he has always shown ability from a two-year-old.

“He was gelded and every preparation he has got better and better in terms of his mentality and approach to training, but he has always been a superstar galloper … and I don’t think it will make a difference if it was in a Maiden race or a Group 1, you will probably see a similar effort from him. He is that type of horse.

“So, no, the 10 000 run didn’t surprise me one bit. It was an incredible run.”

Payline is now set to contest his second successive Group 1 assignment in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday … a race which was put back seven days following its abandonment last week.

Except for that timeframe hiccup, all is well in the Payline camp.

“He’s done incredibly well since the 10 000,” confirmed Munce. “He was meant to run last Saturday (in heavy conditions). The race has been pushed back a week so … look, I think the ground will be more to his liking.

“Unfortunately, with that rescheduling, a few horses are in the same boat now where they will have to back up the following week (in the Stradbroke).

“Payline still has to run the 1300m out. He needs to tick that box on Saturday. If he does, the Stradbroke is there for him the week after.

“You have to play the cards you are dealt,” continued Munce. “He is well fit. He is a good doer. Racing doesn’t hurt him … the backup is the question mark and the 1400m (of the Stradbroke) is a question mark, but when you consider he will be going from weight-for-age conditions into a handicap, a big reduction in weight certainly helps.

“We’ve had to deal with question marks before. We navigate through them That’s our job and that’s what we are looking to do here.

“The way Payline is going now, I think you are going to see a lot more of him.”

One race after the Kingsford Smith Cup, the Chris and Corey Munce training partnership will tackle a second Group 1 when they send Poster Girl out to contest the Group 1 Queensland Oaks.

The form here indicates Poster Girl might have to find a length or two, but Corey Munce remains positive about her chances.

“We were pleased with run considering the circumstances in her last start,” offered Munce.

“The winkers were on first time, and she was wide throughout.

“She came with a very quick run. She was on the wrong leg coming into the straight and when Martin (Harley) asked for an effort she reacted to the inside and when he asked her again, she overcorrected herself.

“Fortunately she stayed up and travelled on to the line, but with the amount of ground she covered in that race you feel, with a soft draw on the weekend, she is going to have every opportunity to prove herself as a horse that can get the 2200m … and hopefully she can run well.”

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