THE favourite did the job and won the $175,000 bet365 Swan Hill Cup on Sunday but there was an audible groan across the track when Munhamek swept to the lead in the shadows of the post.
It relegated race-long leader Ascension to second place – and robbed Harry Coffey of yet another chance to win his first hometown cup.
But the punters and commentators had all opted for the British-bred eight-year-old gelding with more than $2 million in prizemoney, and he did not let them down.
With Jamie Mott at the controls, Munhamek swung wide on the turn into the straight for running room and put in a sustained charge down the middle of the track to run down Coffey on the Ciaron Maher grey.
Kept wide and out of trouble, the Nick Ryan trained Munhamek was allowed to run his own race and Mott timed the charge to perfection.
Stable representative Zoe Miller said “redemption is sweet”.
“He probably should have won at Caulfield (eight days earlier), everyone knows, everyone’s seen the race,” she said.
Miller added she told part-owner and sport identity Craig Hutchison she would be bringing home the cup – “and I am”.
She said about five minutes after the Caulfield race they knew they would bring Munhamek to Swan Hill and it paid off.
“We were never in doubt he had gone too wide on the turn, we trust the horse and he’s been so well all week so and we were supper happy with him,” Miller said.
“He travelled here beautifully and we just knew he was on.
“This horse is very special to the team, he’s eight years old, super sound and super honest – he’s great.”
Mott, who shared the frustration of the Munhamek team when he was full of running at Caulfield and simply could not get through the field, was equally jubilant with his second Swan Hill Cup (11 years after the first).
He described the win as “rewarding, especially after everyone being so frustrated last week, and none more so than myself”.
“But today shows what a great job by Nick and his team to keep him this fresh after a long preparation and they just know their horses so very well,” Mott said.
“Munhamek just came here today and paraded beautifully, finally got a good run, and that’s what he can do when he gets a bit of clear air, he really won well.
“He did have 61kg but I was super confident he would go all the way.
“After all, he does have that weight for a reason so I was sure Nick would have him here in tip-top shape and he presented him spot on, and I just wanted to make sure I had plenty of galloping room.
“So 500m or 600m out I was able to get around them and tracked through the race really well and this nice long straight really suited him.”
