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By Graeme White

Bel Academy will be shooting for three straight victories at Grafton on Monday as small-time trainer Brad Munro strives to keep the winners ticking over.

Munro has prepared Bel Academy for his past two victories at Coffs Harbour with jockey Raymond Spokes aboard and he will again ride the galloper from barrier one.

“I don’t train many horses and only have four at the moment, but they are racing well,” he said.

“Bel Academy has won his past two, Italian Tune won at Taree on Friday and another one, Wanjina Rose ran second at her latest start.

“Bel Academy and Wanjina Rose are both owned by Alan Ahern who is having a good run with his horses and he deserves it.”

Bel Academy lines up against impressive last start winner Wild Wind as well as the top weight Bigger Than Thorn who is bursting to break through for his first victory this campaign.

Munro has the best of both worlds when it comes to racing as not only does he train his horses in a picturesque location, but he also works as a curator for the Coffs Harbour Racing Club.

His close connection to the track is all the more reason why Bel Academy’s past two wins at the course meant a little bit more to him.

“He won a Class then stepped up to a Benchmark 66 at a Showcase meeting on cup day and fought on very well,” he said.

Bel Academy wins at Coffs Harbour on August 5

“He has led in every start he has had and since he has matured and become stronger is showing a lot more at the end of his races.

“He has drawn gate one on Monday so I expect him to lead and prove hard to catch.”

The 2021 version of Bel Academy is in stark contrast to the past where his trainer described him as “very fast for 800 metres”

“He had one gear and that was flat out, but now he is more relaxed and fighting on m0re at the end of his races,” he said

“He is a very big horses at about 17 hands and at first he was very gross and took a long time to get fit.

“He was that big when he turned up as a late two-year-old he looked like he wouldn’t fit through the front gate.”

Bel Academy has only been lightly raced for his age with 11 starts producing three wins and as many placings.

The additional prize money last start pushed his earnings past $50,000 for the son of Bel Esprit.

Wild Wind will prove a worthy opponent to Bel Academy, but will have to overcome an outside draw.

Blue Kentucky Moon won two of her first three starts and only had three runs earlier this year before being spelled.

She ran second in a recent trial at Murwillumbah and could easily rebound on Monday.

Bel Academy never fired in two starts in his previous campaign, but since a spell and with added maturity has returned in better style, according to his trainer.

Munro has never had a horse win three consecutive races and rates Bel Academy as the best he has trained from not a lot of horses he has prepared.”

“Onslow won two in a row for me and several races all up. I think this horse is as good, if not a little bit better,” he said.

“If he can win again it opens up a few more doors for the horse.”

All the fields, form and replays for Monday's Grafton meeting