SWAN Hill stables and jockeys took their home track apart on Sunday, walking away with four winners for local trainers, a treble for jockey Harry Coffey and a training trifecta in the fourth.
Yet it started out as a day which could have had the homegrown punters shifting uneasily in their seats, when Echuca trainer Daryl Archard grabbed the first with Miss Oakley, recording her first race win on her first start.
But then Harry Coffey saddled up red-hot, odds-on debutant Zeitakuna for the Maher/Eustace stable in the $25,000 bet365 Top Tote Plus Plate over 1200m, and burned off the field to win by 1.25 lengths, condemning his father Austy’s starter, Sports Idol, into second.
Had that been it for the day it might have made trackwork a little cooler than usual yesterday morning.
But then Coffey junior got back into the groove for the family business by taking out the fourth and fifth for dear old dad.
This prompted Nathan Hobson to also get serious about his starters, with the wholly Hobson family-owned Toojay racking up just the fourth win of his 36-race career in the sixth, and the ever-reliable Reward With Return taking out the last of the day with his first win of the season and the 13th of his career.
The unflappable Hobson was pretty upbeat about events, even though he had to wait until the very end to reap the rewards – as it were.
“That Toojay is a funny sort of a horse, and a shocking traveller,” Hobson said.
“And funnily enough, he’s only had three starts on his home track, for a win and two placings, and he’s only had those four wins in total – making him something of a Swan Hill specialist.
“Unfortunately, today was the last Swan Hill meeting for a while; so I’m not sure what we will do next with him.”
Hobson said the six-year-old gelding had pulled up well after the run and is only five starts into his current prep – but he always has to consider the travel.
To wrap up the meeting in the $25,000 The Bottle O Swan Hill Handicap over 975m, Hobson’s Reward With Return, with Craig Robertson in the saddle, showed the 10-horse field a clean set of heels to run away with victory by almost three lengths and Upper East Side, his other horse in the race, had a gallant second with Jarrod Fry aboard.
That win took the eight-year-old gelding’s career earnings past the $350,000 mark.
“He’s been such a great horse for us, really reliable and always thereabouts, and it was a good ride by Craig as well,” Hobson said.
“You always need a lot of luck in racing, and we had a good bit of it today – because as much as you prepare a horse for a race, and the jockey, there are still so many other things to worry about.
“So yes, you do need a lot of luck in this game.”
And while he may not be sure where he is going next with today’s winners, Hobson has a pretty good idea where he will be on Friday night – back under lights at the Valley, trying to go one better than he did last Friday with Orienzel.
The five-year-old gelding finished second behind Peter Moody’s Dance To Dubai in the $60,000 race; but the $10,800 prize money for second took Orienzel past $100,000 in career earnings.
“It was a good run, and I might take him back there this Friday and see if he can go one better,” Hobson said.
“I might also take The Enzo along as well.
“Although hopefully we won’t be in the last race, like last week – we didn’t get home until 2am.”
Harry Coffey’s treble was the highlight of the day, winning the second, fourth and fifth.
Father Austy won in the $25,000 The Ultima Hotel Plate over 1600m with Boga Dreams, and the $25,000 Pooles Accountants Handicap, also over the mile, with Warrowie Rose.
In the Ultima Hotel Plate he had a third with Deer Scent, while Con Kelly’s Write To Rossa grabbed second for a local trifecta.
This set up the day for local trainers to take out more than half of the local races – add in Harry’s numbers and one way or another, five races out of seven went to Swan Hill talent.
