With no two-year-old currently performing better in Queensland, the Chirs and Corey Munce trained Cool Archie continued his outstanding form, taking out the $1m Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), his third consecutive black type victory.
Having already won the Listed Dalrello Stakes (1000m) followed by the Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) before Saturday’s victory, connections of the exciting colt must wonder what more he needs to do with the punting public failing to send him out as favourite in any of those wins.
With Gallo Nero (Wootton Bassett) starting the race favourite off the back of his second behind Cool Archie last start, the Hawkes Racing trained colt went forward to settle in second outside the first emergency Farnicle (Farnan) who had secured a run, while Cool Archie found himself last in the 14-horse field, a position he stayed in for much of the race.
With visibility poor, and the track rated heavy, the field fanned as they headed into the home turn as the Danny O’Brien trained Brave Design (Brave Smash) commenced to tackle the Gai Waterhouse and Adrain Bott trained Farnicle.
As Farnicle wrestled the lead back at the 300m mark, Cool Archie was starting to weave his way through the field under jockey Martin Harley, hitting the lead with 100m to run before pulling away for an impressive two and three-quarter length victory from Farnicle who battled away in the straight.
Working home well into third was last start Ipswich maiden winner Call Da Vinci (Under The Louvre) just ahead of Brave Design who held on for fourth, almost four lengths from the winner.
Co-trainer Corey Munce was effusive in his praise for the son of Newhaven Park Stud’s Cool Aza Beel.
"What an amazing run. He's never been that far back, I think, in his career,” stated Munce.
"We were confident coming in today and taking the blinkers off was probably the key there. That was all due to Martin, he was spot on. He was 110% right.
"He relished the wet track and 1400. On that you have to say that he runs a mile.”
With the Gr1 JJ Atkins (1600m) next on the radar for the colt, Chris Munce doesn’t feel the trip will pose any issue.
"I just liked the way the horse kept coming, so the mile is definitely not going to be an issue. Everybody was sceptical that it would, but on what we've seen today, there's no doubt he's improved (from) the other day in the Spirit Of Boom,” said Munce.
Jockey Martin Harley has ridden the colt in all his black type wins and will be out to add the Group 1 to his record next time out.
"As we knew, he wears his heart on his sleeve. He is improving run to run. He relaxed beautifully and had the will to win,” said Harley.
"When he got the clear running in the straight, he was happy to come to the stand side. Will he get 1600-metres? On that he will."
Recoding his fourth win from just eight starts, the three-time stakes winner sent his earnings soaring through the $1m mark, not bad for the $100,000 investment made by Mick Malone Bloodstock when securing the colt from the Magic Millions Yearling Sale draft of Newhaven Park.
Newhaven Park Stud will offer a draft of 17 lots at next week’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale which includes seven lots by Cool Aza Beel including the very first horse to go through the ring on Monday.
The Whitby Bloodstock raced Cool Archie is the best of five winners from six to race for Aware (Tale Of The Cat), a winning daughter of three-time stakes winner, and multiple Group 1placed Media (Gilded Time).
Set to stand the upcoming breeding season at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST) at the Kelly’s Newhaven Park Stud, Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel) is the sire of three first crop winners to date including the stakes performed Cobra Club.
