Munsef - possible for Sandown Classic.
MUNSEF POSSIBLE FOR SANDOWN CLASSIC
By Press Association Sport Staff
Munsef Profile
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Munsef is set to tackle next week's Sandown Classic in Australia following his unplaced run in the Melbourne Cup.
Ian Williams' charge finished 12th in the Group One event over two miles but could take a drop in both class and distance for the 12-furlong Group Two heat at Sandown.
Munsef returned from his Flemington run with a superficial would on a hind leg after being one of many to suffer interference during the Cup and Williams was delighted with his effort
"It would have been better if he had finished in the first 10 and earned some prize money but 12th in a Melbourne Cup, when he was only about six lengths from the winner, was a good effort as far as I am concerned," he said.
Godolphin had to settle for second with Crime Scene at Flemington but trainer Saeed bin Suroor was far from disappointed as he sent out the runner up for the third time.
Crime Scene was the original second string for Godolphin but eventually was their sole contender following the withdrawal of Kirklees.
"We will keep coming back until we win it," Suroor said.
"Maybe we will bring more horses next time in case one breaks down."
Corey Brown steered Shocking to victory in the Cup and he admits he had a tough run from an unfavourable draw.
"I was always expecting to have a hard run from the barrier, but I was naturally hoping to get a bit of cover, even if it was three wide," Brown said.
"By the time we got to the winning post the first time I was beginning to doubt if I could get in (to find cover). I'd lent on a few riders trying to squeeze my way in but no one was going to give up their positions.
"By the time they got to the 2000, my confidence level had gone right down. I'm having a tough run, three wide with no cover or a trail so I thought, 'Yeah, it's pretty much over for this year, we'll try again next year'.
"Getting to about the 700, I was back in the race because Kerrin McEvoy's horse (Crime Scene) got pushed out into the three-wide line."
"This gave me a trail into the home turn where the wind was the strongest and by late in the day any cover you could get from the wind was only going to help.
"Then I didn't expose him again (to the wind) until about the 400.
"(Trainer) Mark (Kavanagh) told me to sit as long as I could but I got to about the 300-metre mark and I wasn't sitting any longer so I went for home.
"At about the 150, I thought for a fleeting moment Crime Scene was going to fight back on my inside and I was going to run second again (after doing so last year on the Luca Cumani trained Bauer).
"But to actually carry me all the way to the line I was very, very surprised and I thought it was a huge run."
The win has erased from Brown's mind the memory of the bitter disappointment of last year's loss by the smallest possible margin aboard Bauer and now he can't wait for next year.
"Now that I've got the monkey off my back, I'll probably be able to go to next year's Melbourne Cup a little relaxed and not have that pressure of not having won the race and hopefully I can get another one," he added.
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