HARRY Coffey is off to a flying start for the new racing season, using every home advantage at Swan Hill on Sunday to land a treble.
This put him in a dead heat with fellow hoop Dean Holland, who took out the last three races on the card to match the hometown hero.
After racking up his first 100-win season in 2021-22, Coffey has picked up where he left off, winning the first two of the meeting – one for his father Austy and one for his great supporter, the Maher-Eustace stable.
He then dazzled the home crowd in the fourth by landing another one for the old man.
To cap off a big day for local stables, Heath Chalmers – who is in Queensland for the Cloncurry and Mt Isa rodeos, competing in the saddle bronc ride – sent the in-form six-year-old Mallee Hammer out as favourite in the lucky last and the mare bolted in.
But the day belonged to the showdown between Coffey and Holland, with the local firing the opening salvo before Holland finally hit his straps in races six, seven and eight.
In the opening race, Coffey senior saddled up Cut To The Chase for Coffey junior in the $27,000 bet365 Racing Refunds Plate over 975m.
Cut To The Chase was favourite in the overnight betting, but punters poured it on for Hans Albert on the day, sending it out at close to even money.
But as soon as they jumped, Coffey made his intentions clear, quickly taking up the running and then daring the field to catch him. They couldn’t.
It was Cut To The Chase’s first start for the Coffeys after being moved to the Swan Hill operation from city-based Grahame Begg’s stable four weeks ago.
“She had blinkers on from a good barrier and Dad instructed me to keep it simple and she would be too good – and he was right,” Harry Coffey said.
He said it was a good day out at his home course.
“The track was in awesome condition. It had received rain and held up well, racing truly throughout the day. I just wish that we – and I – raced at Swan Hill more,” Coffey said.
“And it was great to be able to land winners for Dad and Ciaron Maher and David Eustace as they are my two strongest supporters, so it was great to give them both a win.”
In the $27,000 bet365 Top Tote Plus Plate over 1200m, The Fortune Teller, a stylishly bred $90,000 Caravaggio weanling, was making its first start for Maher-Eustace and Coffey had not done any track or trial work with the three-year-old colt.
“But Dave Eustace gave me a nice push for him on Sunday morning, saying he is a ‘nice type’,” Coffey said.
Very nice, as it turned out, with a seriously impressive debut – albeit in a maiden.
Then, in the $27,000 Ultima Hotel Plate over 1600m, Sports Idol turned out to be a sports star, winning by more than two lengths from Acquiescent, the race favourite trained by Maher and Eustace.
“It was good to start off the new season with a bang, and also, as it always is, great to ride winner at home.”
While that was the end for Coffey, the stage passed to Holland, who knocked over the $27,000 Pooles Accountants Handicap over 2400m, the $27,000 Busbiz.net.au Handicap over 975m and the $27,000 Bottle O Swan Hill Handicap over 1200m.
The win gave Chalmers a success in absentia.
Speaking from Queensland, Chalmers said his wife Amanda was in charge of the horses until he made it home – “and doing a great job, I’m sure”.
“Our little boys are also helping her by mixing the feeds,” Chalmers said.
“Amanda told Dean to ride her the same way he had at Murtoa (on July 17) and it paid off,” he said.
“Dean rode her really well, but I think she’ll go in the paddock now for a couple of days and we will consider her next outing as her rating will go up because of the win.”
