\n\t\t\t\t\tBy Paul Symes\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Listen<\/p>\n
Vein Girl\u2019s all-female ownership syndicate are already tickled pink with their filly by Blue Point (Shamardal), and the $60,000 bargain buy will now bid to deliver a first stakes success in Melbourne for her trainers Chris and Corey Munce in Saturday\u2019s Cap d\u2019Antibes Stakes (Listed, 1100m).<\/p>\n
Despite some colder mornings than she has been accustomed to in Brisbane, Vein Girl has settled in well at Gai Waterhouse\u2019s Flemington stables alongside travelling companion Payline (Shooting To Win), who will to the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at The Valley on September 26 after his fast-finishing fifth in the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m).<\/p>\n
Having been born and raised at the Liston family\u2019s Three Bridges Stud near Bendigo, Vein Girl\u2019s return to Melbourne marks something of a homecoming for the filly, who burst onto the scene with a searing win in the $250,000 Magic Millions Debut (1000m) at the Gold Coast last December.<\/p>\n
A valiant fifth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) netted connections a cheque for $175,000 \u2013 including a very handy $100,000 Racing Women\u2019s bonus \u2013 to provide her large ownership group with an already healthy return on their original investment from just two career starts.<\/p>\n
The syndicate was put together by Munce Racing\u2019s sales and client liaison manager Paula Newnham, whose brother Mark is enjoying a successful training stint in Hong Kong after relocating from Sydney.<\/p>\n
Newnham and a large contingent of her fellow owners have made the trip south for Vein Girl\u2019s Melbourne debut, with Munce Snr quipping that he may require earplugs should their girl down a deep field of fillies in the $175,000 contest.<\/p>\n
Munce, who has trained a total of 23 stakes winners including five in partnership with his son, arrived in Melbourne on Friday afternoon to oversee Vein Girl\u2019s final preparations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m)\u2013winning jockey revealed his main query was how she might handle the straight track, which in the past has undone many a good sprinter including Vein Girl\u2019s granddam Victory Vein (Mr Henrysee), who won nine stakes races but finished down the field in the 2004 Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) at her only Flemington start.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, a suitably slick trial at Doomben at the end of July and an abundance of spring options for fillies persuaded Team Munce to embark on their Melbourne mission, with Craig Williams keen to stick with Vein Girl after partnering her in a recent gallop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s obviously her first trip away from home but she\u2019s taken everything in her stride so far,\u201d Munce Snr told ANZ News.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe came back in really well and trialled nicely, so we wanted to give her the opportunity to run in some of the better races down in Melbourne and hopefully get some black type on her page. I didn\u2019t expect the field to come up as strong as it has to be perfectly honest, but at least we\u2019ll get a good guide on where she sits in the pecking order.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if she handles the straight she\u2019ll run really well, but there\u2019s always that query in the back of your mind when they haven\u2019t seen a straight track before. I have no concerns over her ability or fitness, she\u2019s a very tractable filly and for Craig to take the ride after he galloped her is also a big vote of confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll know much more after Saturday but I would imagine she\u2019ll only have two or three runs maximum in Melbourne, then we\u2019ll bring her back to Brisbane for the summer carnival and target the Magic Millions [3YO Classic]. So we wouldn\u2019t want to do anything to jeopardise that, but obviously it would be fantastic for me and the whole team if we could knock off a feature race in Melbourne this campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given that Blue Point\u2019s yearlings fetched up to $500,000 on the Gold Coast last year, Munce was understandably delighted to acquire Vein Girl for a fraction of that fee.<\/p>\n
A minor issue with her stifle may have deterred some potential bidders, but Munce and his trusted bloodstock agent Arthur Hoyeau were prepared to take a chance on the filly, whose sister Blue Hawaiian has registered one win and five runner-up finishes from her six starts for Peter Moody and Kath Coleman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Blue Point, who had his service fee increased to \u20ac100,000 (approx. AU$176,350) by Darley for the 2025 northern hemisphere breeding season having sired 21 stakes winners worldwide, won\u2019t be returning to Australian shores for the upcoming breeding season so future options to purchase his progeny may be limited.\u00a0<\/p>\n