The Old Marvel Munhamek Strikes in Winter Championship Series Final

Mark Smith - Saturday July 6

Munhamek (GB) made it three wins on the bounce when he gave his rivals weight, travelled three-wide, and still proved a class above in Saturday’s $200,000 Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final (1600m) at Flemington.

He is an old marvel (image Racing Photos)

Ridden by Jamie Mott for Nick Ryan, the 8-year-old son of Dark Angel hit the front inside the 300m and kept up a relentless gallop to defeat Lounge Bar Rubi (Rubick) by one and three-quarter lengths with Green Fly (Frankel) back in third.

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The centre of an emotional win for Damien Oliver in the Group III WATC Gold Rush at Ascot in December, Munhamek (GB) advances his record to 13 wins, nine seconds, and eight third from 62 starts with earnings of $2,554,030.

“He didn’t have any favours in the run, and they were running along,” Ryan said.

“There is no doubt he has gone to another level. The more we give him, the more he keeps raising the bar. He has taken everyone on a pretty good journey. He has been in work for 16 months and has taught me plenty.”

Munhamek with his fan club (image Racing Photos)

  Munhamek (GB) won three of thirty starts in Hong Kong when trained by David Hall and Casper Fownes, and when trained by Ivan Furtado, he was a winner of two and runner-up in two of his four starts in England.

Bred by Shadwell Estate, Munhamek (GB) is the best of four winners from six to race for the Dansili mare Cadenza, a half-sister to Group III winner and Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas third Kandidate (Kabool), and Group III winner Star Valley (Starborough).

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Race Result - VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final LR 1600m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 1:35.65
1
Munhamek
- 8g Dark Angel (IRE) x Cadenza (FR) (Dansili (GB))
Tnr: Nick Ryan Rdr: J Mott 60.5
2
1.8
Lounge Bar Rubi
- 4g Rubick (AUS) x A Quiet Shandy (AUS) (Al Maher (AUS))
Tnr: Mark & Levi Kavanagh Rdr: Ms L J Meech 54
3
2.5
Green Fly
- 5g Frankel (GB) x Via Pisa (FR) (Pivotal (GB))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
4
2.5
King Magnus
- 8g Magnus (AUS) x Influential Miss (AUS) (Carnegie (IRE))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 58
5
2.9
Galeron
- 4g Camacho (GB) x Society Gal (IRE) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: B Mc Dougall 54.5
6
3.4
Windstorm
- 7g Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Storm Alert (AUS) (Metal Storm (FR))
Tnr: Gavin Bedggood Rdr: Beau Mertens 54
7
4.2
Duke De Sessa
- 5g Lope De Vega (IRE) x Dark Crusader (IRE) (Cape Cross (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: John Allen 58.5
8
4.3
Pounding
- 5g Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Silent Entrance (GB) (Beat Hollow (GB))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: L Nolen 56.5
9
12.3
Sibaaq
- 6g Dark Angel (IRE) x Maid To Dream (GB) (Oasis Dream (GB))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Celine Gaudray 54.5
10
14.5
Le Ferrari
- 4g Toronado (IRE) x Hai Lil (AUS) (Churchill Downs (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: D Moor 54
11
19.5
Flash Flood
- 6g Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Giuditta (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Carleen Hefel 54
12
27.5
Too Close the Sun
- 8g Carlton House (USA) x Old Money (AUS) (Old Spice (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: D W Stackhouse 55.5
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