SWAN Hill’s newest senior jockey has had to overcome so much in his life just to get a ride on a horse, let alone to have a chance of riding in this year’s Melbourne Cup.
Harry Coffey’s much-publicised battle with cystic fibrosis threatened to derail his career before he even became an apprentice jockey.
Father Austy Coffey told The Guardian “the odds were against him when he started”.
“We thought he would just have a go and a few rides,” Austy said.
Instead, the 20-year-old is staring down the barrel of winning a Melbourne Cup, with the owner of seven-year-old gelding Signoff Gerry Ryan confirming the youngster is all but booked for the big race according to racing.com.
With a new season upon the racing community, Harry is officially a senior jockey and said he was feeling great coming off his five-year learning experience.
For more on this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (August 5).
