Swan Hill Cup-winning jockey gets back aboard import for Finals Day feature.
Jamie Mott is hoping to make up for what end up being a missed opportunity when he is reunited with Munhamek in Saturday’s Winter Championship Final at Flemington.
The Group 1 hoop rode the popular gelding to victory in the Swan Hill Cup on June 9 but was then a rival at his next outing, The David Bourke on June 22, when connections intended to claim on the eight-year-old.
Trainer Nick Ryan engaged leading apprentice and 1.5kg claimer Celine Gaudray, but when she was a late withdrawal from that Flemington meeting it was left to senior rider Billy Egan to carry the full 61.5kg to victory.
Mott was left to look on back in the field, 4-1/2 lengths away on eighth placegetter Sibaaq.
He is excited to have won the competitive race to get back aboard Munhamek in the signature event of the Finals Day program.
“In the end, I was disappointed I did have a ride in that race, because I probably could have got back on him,” Mott said with a laugh.
“But he was very good when Billy won on him and he was very good when I won on him.
“He’s a horse that’s in super form and hopefully we can win together again.”
The Winter Championship Final be just the third time Mott has partnered the imported son of Dark Angel, having been aboard when he was an unlucky fifth at Caulfield the start before his Swan Hill Cup success.
He carried 61kg to victory that day and drops to 60.5kg on Saturday, when he will meet most of the rivals he defeated last start at either level weights or better off.
The two horses prominent in betting that didn’t come through The David Bourke are Ciaron Maher-trained import Duke De Sessa (58.5kg) and consistent gelding Pounding (56.5kg).
Swan Hill Cup rivals Green Fly and Flash Flood are on the 54kg and while Mott concedes everything will need to go right, he is happy with barrier six of 13 and thinks he is on the horse to beat.
“He’s in great form, he wins with big weights and they’ve done a really good job keeping him sound and happy and racing so well,” he said.
“You’d imagine he’d be midfield somewhere and, in the form he’s in, he’s the one to beat.”
