SWAN Hill jockey Harry Coffey and Grand Promenade are as close as the region has been to winning a Melbourne Cup.
When he takes the seven-year-old British-bred gelding to the starting gate for the $7.75 million race on Tuesday afternoon, he will also be carrying the hopes of its owners, who stretch from Lake Boga to Moulamein.
There is a strong Swan Hill family connection as well.
Ironically, Coffey got the ride because best mate and Kerang native Jye McNeil (he was best man at McNeil’s wedding) copped a suspension, and although he could have postponed it for the cup ride, it would have impacted on his six-week stint in Hong Kong starting next month.
Grand Promenade’s local connection starts with owners Gerry Ryan, the high-profile businessman, his wife Val, who comes from Lake Boga and who has family in Swan Hill, and Moulamein farmer Paul Gorey.
But Coffey isn’t getting too pumped just yet. Grand Promenade is on the second-last line of betting at $71 and doesn’t like overly wet tracks.
On Monday Flemington was already rated a soft 7, and any more rain will make that worse.
“If the cup was being run on last year’s form, I would have given us a much better shot at winning, but he doesn’t like the wet all that much,” Coffey said.
“But we’ve drawn barrier 1, which I see as a good place to start, so we will follow the rail and see what happens, because I am here to win it if I can.”
It has been a topsy-turvy lead-up for Coffey, who rode High Emocean (No.22) into the Melbourne Cup with victory in the Bendigo Cup on October 26 but its 50kg handicap was an impossible target for him.
But he revealed on Monday the opportunity on the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Grand Promenade had been floating around in the background.
He says the trainers had “booked” him by asking him to keep the race open. With High Emocean not getting up to his weight range, and McNeil suspended, that booking firmed up very quickly.
“Grand Promenade and I go way back,” Coffey said. “I rode him for his first two runs and have been on him four times in all.
“And his form last year was good, including taking out The Bart Cummings, so when he’s good he is very good.
“His fourth-place finish this year in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup was only fair through the line and in the Herbert Power (Stakes), when he was let down on a soft 5 track, his wheels were spinning.”
But given some good wind and no more precipitation, the track may be upgraded, which will work for Coffey and co, on a horse with 24 starts, eight wins, six placings and $1.2 million in prizemoney.
Coffey’s first Melbourne Cup ride last year on Port Guillaume was a personal highlight, and even though his rank outsider finished third last, Coffey said he had never had so many congratulations and claps on the back in his career. It was, he said with a laugh, the most celebrated 22nd place in racing history.
Coffey’s cup day kicks off in the second on the card – the $150,000 The Macca’s Run over 2800m – with top weight Aurora’s Symphony.
“I rate this horse. He finished third in the Coongy Handicap at Caufield on October 12 and that was a soft 7 run over 2000m.
“Provided the track doesn’t worsen, I would give him a pretty good chance on this track and in this field.”
Coffey’s crack at racing immortality is set to jump at 3pm.
