Munce team eyes big-race double at Doomben

By Jordan Gerrans

The leading Munce family stable has already tasted Group glory during the early stages of the 2026 Queensland Racing Carnival and they have aims for more success at Doomben this Saturday.

Consistent sprinter Payline heads the team in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000, while promising stablemate Poster Girl goes to the Magic Millions Bright Shadow. 

Payline gets his chance at elite-level fortunes this Saturday, while the father-and-son training team believes Poster Girl can make her way to Group 1 level by the end of the carnival. 

Payline and Poster Girl both worked on the Doomben course proper on Tuesday morning and co-trainer Corey Munce liked what he observed.

“We had a few line up on Tuesday morning over at Doomben,” Corey Munce said.

“It was a nice surface, we had a little bit of rain on Monday night, so it was probably a Soft 6. 

“We had Payline gallop with Poster Girl. For Payline, it was very good work and Kyle Wilson-Taylor was on him. 

“Martin Harley rode Poster Girl and that was very good work, too.”

Corey, who trains alongside his champion jockey father Chris, has already won a major prize during the carnival of 2026 as emerging star Brave Monarch claimed the Group 2 Queensland Guineas earlier this month. 

Wilson-Taylor will need to contend with a wide draw in Saturday’s Weight for Age sprint over 1200 metres.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the bookmakers have Payline as a $26 chance in the first Group 1 of the carnival, with Jimmysstar heading the market at $3.20. 

The 30-year-old Corey believes Payline is flying. 

“I’ve got no doubt in the world he’s going better this prep,” Corey told Racenet.

"He's probably going better than ever and his two runs this prep have been above what we've expected.

"I think this is going to be his year and I hope it's at Doomben. He's well fit now.

"He's probably in the best order I've ever seen him in and I can say that with confidence."

Payline’s recent runs have been full of merit without breaking through.

He ran second in the Victory Stakes, third in the Ascot Handicap while he placed in a couple of rich Magic Millions races in the back end of 2025.

The five-year-old gelding’s last triumph was back in the first month of 2025 when he snuck up the inside to score in the Magic Millions The Syndicate, when it was run at Caloundra.

On his course proper gallop on Tuesday morning, Corey was filled with confidence.

“He worked as good as I've seen him work for a very long time,” the co-trainer said.

“The 10,000 on Saturday, we're asking for a lot, but he can run a big race at probably big odds on the weekend.”

While Payline has battled to win races in recent times, stablemate Poster Girl has an almost opposite record. 

The four-year-old mare has triumphed in four of her last five trips to the races, headlined by her brilliant effort in the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares race earlier this year. 

The daughter of Alabama Express has been to the trials on two occasions ahead of her first-up tilt in the Listed Bright Shadow over 1100 metres.

“She'll have a couple of lead-up runs,” Corey said of Poster Girl’s carnival plans. 

“And, if she can draw a gate early in the prep, she'll probably have four runs. 

“If she can draw a gate there on Saturday, she's going to be competitive first-up, I think. It's a strong little field.

“But, we would like to try and get her into a Dane Ripper and maybe even a Tatt’s Tiara. We will see.”

The Munce camp will have runners in several black-type races on Saturday. 

Double Cool – with Harley aboard – goes to the Spirit Of Boom Classic, while Walsh Bay and Lonhro's Queen will also feature on the program.