TESTA Life, Swan Hill’s reigning horse of the year, ruled supreme on her home track on Monday to snatch the $25,000 The Bottle O Swan Hill Handicap over 1600m.That victory can be credited to a strategic ride from Harry Coffey, giving him his third win for the day – and his third win on Testa Life in three rides.
Swan Hill trainer Jane Duncan admitted recently she had only made one mistake with her eight-year-old mare – “I should never have taken Harry off her for her past two starts”.
Duncan explained that as the horse’s handicap kept going up, she had turned to apprentice riders and their weight claims – a tough trade-off with a horse that is notoriously hard work in a race.Coffey, who also won the second race of the day, the $25,000 Jarrod Arrentz Electrical Plate over 1300m and the $25,000 fifth on the card, the Pooles Accountants Handicap over 2400m, described Testa Life’s run on Monday as “a very brave finish and she hung on long enough to get the bob”.
On a high after taking out the $70,000 Terang Cup on Sunday with Angel Rock, Coffey classified Monday as “a pretty good day”.
“It did take some doing but we have also had a lot of luck,” Coffey said.
“She (Testa Life) landed a lot closer today, and was really in a forward-going mood, because normally if you leave her, she will plod along out the back and you’ve got to get stuck into her,” he said.
“Once we settled, I said to her ‘you’re a mature horse you know what you want to do, so I’ll just keep you happy and let you do what you want.
“I’m absolutely rapt for Jane because this horse has done a great job for her; and loves coming here.”
As well as almost guaranteeing himself the ride next time Duncan wheels out Testa Life, he’s probably in line for a seat on Angel Rock as well, which trainer Tom Dabernig seems certain to start in next month’s Warrnambool Cup.
Offsetting a gate in the middle of the field, Testa Life stayed near the rail and as they came into the straight might as well have been glued to it, never yielding anyone the chance to block him in or cut him off.
But Coffey’s bold bid to get to the rail, get to the front and then get to the line first looked doomed in the shadow of the post as Kaituku started flying towards the hot pink leader and the significant size disparity between the frontrunner and the would-be winner seemed to make Testa Life look totally out of her ground.
“I thought at 62.5kg Harry might as well ride him because I couldn’t get a kid (with an apprentice’s claim) to ride him,” Duncan added.
“I don’t know she’s not a kid’s horse; but we drew number one twice, and she had copped a bit of sand in her face at Kyneton and didn’t really want to take part,” she said.
“But she was in a real mood this afternoon and I told Harry I didn’t know if it was a good sign or not. And she was able to travel much handier instead of drifting miles back.
“To carry 62.5 and really fight in a 1600, fight all the way down the straight – and I was screaming all the way because I thought he might have just got us.
“I don’t know about back-to-back; but I’m just thrilled to have her and she’s flying, we might still go to Warrnambool, you just don’t know; but as long as she pulls up fine, that’s the main thing.”
The irrepressible Nathan Hobson was the other local winner – and just to make sure his standout red-and-white colours were not lowered, he took the quinella in the sixth of the day, the $25,000 bet365 Odds Drift Protector BM58 over 975m.
What looked to be a one-horse race, with Madison Lloyd on Soweto Haze, deciding to play catch me if you can, giving her five-year-old gelding a clear run in the dash for cash.
And her tactics looked a certainty as the rest of the field dropped off, one by one – except for stablemate Upper East Side carrying apprentice Hannah Edgley and a whopping 64kg (after Edgley’s 2kg claim).
They set off in pursuit and with 150m to go they were all alone, with Soweto Haze doing everything in the book to finish first.
But Edgley gave one last lunge on the line, and a photo later, she and Upper East Side were the winners, Hobson had a quinella and, just to prove he’s human, Harry Coffer riding Honorellay, finished stone cold last.
Hobson speaking post-race said: “he’s just a lovely, honest horse and he’s been a pleasure since he has come to our stable”.
Then added “it was actually Hannah’s first ride for us today, so she did a great job”.
“He raced a bit closer than I thought he might have, because he does tend to get back a bit, sort of, so credit to Hannah and it’s great to see him win again,” Hobson added.
“Madison loves that horse (Soweto Haze) and he’s been working really well. She actually came up from Ballarat the other day and trialled him and was really happy with the way he went – and Heath Chalmers has been galloping him a few times; so we have really been happy although we have had to change the way we train him a bit, he’s got a few little issues and he’ll probably head to Mildura in a fortnight now.”
