Trainer Chris Munce’s in-form three year old Smart Meteor leads the locals in the nominations for the 2019 Group 3 $250,000 Grand Prix Stakes (2206m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Munce, above, has nominated Smart Meteor for the 2019 Grand Prix Stakes at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Smart Meteor is the winner of his last two starts and is one of twelve three-year-olds making up the nominations for the Grand Prix Stakes which has been moved from the Brisbane Winter Carnival slot to be part of the Queensland Summer Racing Carnival.
Smart Meteor broke through for his Maiden win two starts back over 1300m at Toowoomba and then scored an impressive win against his own age over 2000m at Doomben on December 7 and Munce said that there is no question about the Smart Missile gelding handling the step up to the 2206m of the Grand Prix.
“Gai (Waterhouse) had a lot of the family when I was with her in Sydney, They could all stay and this bloke is the same,” Munce said.
“It is a bit further at 2200m but I don’t think Smart Meteor will have any trouble against his own age group.”
“Smart Meteor is a pretty smart horse and I expect him to go a long way.”
Early betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Grand Prix has Smart Meteor on the third line at $4 behind the Gerald Ryan trained Chains Of Honour and Mark Newnham’s Mission Phoenix.
Chains Of Honour is the winner of two of his three race starts and is coming off a win in an 1800m Class 2 Handicap at Hawkesbury on December 8 while Mission Phoenix has the same record and is a last start winner of a BenchMark 64 Handicap over 2000m at Kembla Grange.
Early betting for the 2019 Grand Prix Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.40 Chains Of Honour, $3.60 Mission Phoenix, $4.40 Smart Meteor, $8 Don’t Waiver, Mosshiki, Savvy Valentino, $10 Southern Swing, $15 Tears Of Love, $19 Alignment, $51 Private Detective, Real It In, $151 Haleighozae.
Nominations for the 2019 Grand Prix Stakes (2206m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21356 | ALIGNMENT | F | 3 | Bryan & Daniel Guy | 60 |
| 2 | 17×1 | CHAINS OF HONOUR | G | 3 | Gerald Ryan | – |
| 3 | 67×1213332 | DON’T WAIVER | G | 3 | Stuart Kendrick | 66 |
| 4 | 69725 | HALEIGHOZAE | G | 3 | Garry Schwenke | – |
| 5 | 101 | MISSION PHOENIX | G | 3 | Mark Newnham | – |
| 6 | 4x432x4415 | MOSSHIKI | G | 3 | Robert Heathcote | 62 |
| 7 | 8445 | PRIVATE DETECTIVE | G | 3 | Gregory Hickman | – |
| 8 | 862 | REAL IT IN | F | 3 | Peter & Will Hulbert | – |
| 9 | 6182243 | SAVVY VALENTINO (NZ) | G | 3 | Bjorn Baker | – |
| 10 | 3x3226x611 | SMART METEOR | G | 3 | Chris Munce | 68 |
| 11 | x41370x524 | SOUTHERN SWING | G | 3 | Darryl Hansen | – |
| 12 | 439143 | TEARS OF LOVE | G | 3 | Matt Kropp | – |
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