THE opening event on the card and you are sent out on the red-hot favourite in a large field of maidens – no pressure there.
So Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey decided the smartest thing he could do was take his mount, Romani Ite Domum, to the front and make the rest play catch-up.
And it worked.
Even though roughie The Bantam threw everything at him but the kitchen sink in the final 200m, Coffey and the horse with the very unusual name would not be denied in the $37,500 Bendigo Locksmiths Plate over 1300m.
In the end they ran away with an impressive maiden victory by almost a length – job done and everyone happy.
Coffey said it was nice to get a win and kick the day off well on what was one of his favourite tracks and had proved a happy hunting ground for many years.
“It really did look a bit of a sit-and-steer ride – he looked really well placed today,” he said.
“And it was good that we were able to use the inside gate and control the race.
“He rolled along, although was a little bit awkward when we turned.
“But in the end he was just too good.”
Coffey said it probably didn’t end up as straightforward as he had been expecting because of those little awkward patches.
He was also a little bit awkward in his action and seemed a little lost at times, suggesting there may be room for further improvement.
“He’s just a little bit fiery and hot, so maybe when he learns that this caper’s not as scary as everyone tells him he might be able to put his energy in better places – and that’s at the end of the race.”
Two races later in the $37,500 bet265 Plate over 1500m, and it was a case of déjà vu, this time on another maiden, Ciaron Maher’s Shockletz – which also happened to be the unbackable odds-on favourite.
Although he opted not to lead in the much smaller field, Coffey had the favourite well positioned with cover behind the leader throughout.
And as soon as they straightened for home, Coffey hooked around the pacemaker and headed for home.
Women in Uniform had clearly not read the script and tried to steal a winning break a few hundred out, but the unflappable Coffey simply urged his ride to lift and went straight on by to win by more than a length in her second start.
“It’s easy when you draw one but you also have to be mindful of what’s around you,” Coffey said post-race.
“I was relying on Uncle Shane’s horse (Shane Fliedner’s Parissident) to take us a fair way, but unfortunately it was stopping so I had to go to plan B and get off the rail,” he said with a grin.
“But, really, she was just too good.
“She probably could have won with more ease but she is also very green and I didn’t want to throw that kitchen sink at her – I just wanted to guide her to the line.”
Two favourites, two wins, too good.
