There is little argument that Nick Ryan is a rising star in the trainer ranks, and he has rejuvenated the career of the 7yo Dark Angel gelding Munhamek (GB), who earned a maiden stakes win in the Listed Nuturf Spear Chief Hcp (1500m) at Eagle Farm.
Bringing up a race-to-race double for Billy Egan, Munhamek (GB) came with a barnstorming finish to defeat Charmmebaby (Charm Spirit) by a length and a half, with Brigantine (Astern) a half-length back in third.
A winner of two and runner-up in two of his four starts in England, Munhamek (GB) won three of thirty starts in Hong Kong.
The son of Dark Angel advanced his record to nine wins, eight seconds, and seven thirds from 47 starts with earnings of $1,195,830.
Stable representative Aaron Mitchell hopes Munhamek (GB) has earned a Group 1 Stradbroke Hcp spot.
“We are absolutely rapt. Since the horse has been up here, he’s thrived and ticked all the boxes. He’s made it look easy in the end,” Mitchell said,
“He’s backed up before, and if everything goes alright in the next week, he’ll be there (for the Stradbroke).”
“We’ve been very happy with how he’s been up here. We’ll just assess him in the next few days, and we’ll have a chat with Nick and the owners. Hopefully, we’ll be going to the Stradbroke.”
“He’s down in the weights; hopefully, he scrapes in.”
Billy Egan said it could not have worked out any better.
“It pretty much worked out to script,” he said
“I wanted to be following ‘Willo’ (Craig Williams, Charmmebaby) or Skyman, Nash’s (Rawiller) mount. I was able to pocket it inside of me and keep ‘Willo’s’ back. We just got the beautiful cart up to the 600, ‘Willo’ was giving me a beautiful drag, and I wasn’t too far off the leaders. I thought, ‘when I put him out in the open, he’s really going to unleash.”
Bred by Shadwell Estate, Munhamek (GB) is the best of four winners from six to race for the Dansili mare Cadenza a half-sister to Group III winner and Group 1 Two Thousand Guineas third Kandidate (Kabool), and Group III winner Star Valley (Starborough).
Munhamek (GB) is the 98th stakes-winner for Yeomanstown Stud’s hugely successful Acclamation stallion Dark Angel (IRE), which stands for a fee of €60,000.
