NEITHER Harry Coffey nor Southport Tycoon have put a foot wrong, and now the $3 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas – Australia’s premier race for three-year-olds – beckons, just two rides away.
On Wednesday Coffey and the $330,000 colt stepped out in a five-horse field with three first-start winners clashing in their second steps towards possible spring glory.
At almost even money, the favourite Akicita looked to have the $50,000 Ladbrokes Hub in the bag with 200m to go.
Let down by Jye McNeil it stormed to the front and appeared set to leave the others eating dust, when Coffey and Southport Tycoon got serious and set up a head to head-slogging match to the line.
The Coffey combination got the cash and immediately after the race had the owners talking Caulfield Guineas, set for October 14.
Bennett Racing’s Nathan Bennet said all things being well, the Maher/Eustace trained entire will target the $300,000 Group 3 Guineas Prelude over the classic mile on September 23.
The Caulfield Guineas is a recognised “stallion-making” race and has been won by some of the best three-year-old colts in the country, which then go on to realise enormous values as sires.
Past winners include Godolphin’s Anamoe, which has now won almost $12 million in prizemoney, super sires Lonhro and Redoute’s Choice, and of course the legendary Tulloch.
Coffey has ridden the Written Tycoon son in both his starts – winning on debut at Geelong on August 11 and now at Sandown – and like the horse’s owners and trainers is expecting big things.
Speaking post-race Coffey was almost as pleased with seeing off best mate McNeil on Akicita as he was about winning.
He said when he saw the favourite loom up on the outside he immediately thought: “Damn, playing second fiddle to Jye once again.”
“But to my little fella’s credit he fought back and I just said to (McNeil) ‘nice little match race that and nice to come out on top,” Coffey added with a big grin.
“I even asked him did I beat him, because I wanted to hear it from his mouth, and he said ‘yeah, you did bud’ and cantered off.
“But I thought it was two pretty good colts going at it and they were probably both very stiff to run into each other on a Wednesday at Sandown.
“I think it’s a strong race going forward and I must admit I thought, even though there were wraps for other runners in the race, I really liked my bloke and he would be really hard to beat, and it proved that way.”
Coffey said a “really good trait” of Southport Tycoon going forward was his ability to fight back.
He said even when McNeil’s horse was in front and was laying in on them and crowding them, Southport Tycoon had the will to want to fight on and hit the line.
“They both showed a bit of greenness, but they’re both very new and my bloke still showed real determination,” he said.
“I think also just coming from the Maher/Eustace team, you know their horses are going to be so strong, so if you just put them in the right spot you know they are going to be in for the fight – and my bloke was today.”
