Since Chris and Corey Munce took over training duties for the five-year-old mare Gerringong, she has performed exceptionally well, with further Sydney success now on the horizon this Saturday.
The daughter of Blue Point made a successful return to racing with a tenacious victory in the Group 3 The Nivision over 1200m and will aim to add a Group 2 win to her record when she contests The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick.
The father-son training partnership managed Gerringong over the Winter period after she transferred from Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s stable. During this time, she secured placings in the Dane Ripper Stakes and Tattersall’s Tiara, the latter being a Group One event. Chris Munce is confident she will perform admirably.
“She’s doing really well,” Munce stated.
“It was good to see her get that win first up and she seems to have come through it really well.”
The Invitation offers a substantial $2 million in prize money, with the winner receiving half of that purse. Munce believes the increase in distance to seven furlongs on Saturday will be advantageous for Gerringong.
“She ran good over the 1,400 metres in the Group One over the winter, so no reason why she won’t do it again,” Munce commented.
“I suppose Saturday will determine how she measures up and where she goes and what she does.
“We’ll get over Saturday and assess her after that.”
In the five years since The Invitation’s introduction, four of the winners were either Group One winners heading into the race or achieved Group One success later. This year’s full field of 12 mares includes Idle Flyer and Lazzura, both Group One winners, who will carry the joint topweight of 59kg under the set weight and penalty conditions.
Despite the high calibre of the other competitors, Munce is optimistic about Gerringong’s chances, especially given her recent form since joining their stable. He anticipates she will be “very hard to beat.”
Lazzura is the current favourite for The Invitation at $2.35, followed by Verona Rose at $4.80. These two mares finished in the exacta in the Golden Pendant last start, with Gerringong listed as the third favourite at $6.50.
You can find the latest racing odds for The Invitation at Australian betting sites.