HARRY Coffey is fast becoming a cups kleptomaniac.
Fair dinkum, give him a saddle, a horse and a cup’s race and get out of the way.
Incredibly though, Coffey’s win on New York Hurricane in Wednesday’s $125,000 bet365 Kyneton Cup over 2006m, was a first for him – in what has been a big year of firsts for the Swan Hill hoop (let’s not forget that first Caulfield Cup).
And it was a bit of a bonus for Coffey, he didn’t crack a ride in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup, and one of his three starts at Flemington was scratched.
But you can’t keep a champion down for too long.
Given the better backed of local trainer Liam Howley’s two starters in his home cup, Coffey got away smoothly, had a very easy ride in cover and then showed amazing patience to find a gap to get him into the clear as the field rocketed around the final turn on record race pace.
Once he saw daylight, his horse lived up to its name and blew right by the pacesetters and then it was simply a matter of by how much – which in the end would be almost two lengths easing down when Coffey and New York Hurricane hit the line.
Coffey would end up smashing the course record in a time of 2.01:64 for the journey.
Race favourite Promises Kept and the strongly supported Matthew simply ran out of wind when the pressure was on.
Coffey said it all worked out pretty well for him after he planned to follow Craig Newitt on Howley stablemate Station One, which was pushing the early pace.
“I thought he would break them up and we would be able to manoeuvre off when we needed to, but they were well aware of what he was trying to do so we were jam packed when we came around the bend,” Coffey said.
“So we just had to bide our time, and it was very tight, but gee my horse was travelling well.
“And when your horse is travelling well, you are able to take tight runs, and that’s what happened. So terrific effort from the team and I am sure they will be stoked to win their hometown cup – there’s not many better feelings.
“Plus it is my first Kyneton Cup, and I am pretty rapt with that too.
“And yes, I am a bit jealous they have been able to win their hometown cup, I haven’t been able to do that in Swan Hill yet.
“But it’s awesome to be involved – you only had to look at the staff in the mounting yard, they were rapt too.
“They do all the work, and it doesn’t matter what stable you are in, there is always hard work involved.”
The cup completed a Kyneton double for Coffey, earlier on the card he took out the $37,500 Cam Security Maiden Plate over 1003m with debutant Soft Love for Matt Laurie, leaving strongly backed favourite Midnight Hustle 1.3 lengths adrift.
And on Monday, ahead of the Melbourne Cup, Coffey went to Ballarat and hopped onto Fire High, which duly saluted in a $27,000 BM64 over 1400m.
