Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey used Tuesday’s Mildura races to finetune his assault on the Spring Carnival’s Group 1 glamour events when he steered Andrew Bobbin’s Jet Jitsu to victory in the $27,000 River End Holiday Park Handicap over 1200m.
Tomorrow Coffey will be on board promising three-year-old Skyphios in the $3 million G1 Caulfield Guineas over the classic mile.
And the two already have a guaranteed Victoria Derby start after winning the Byerley Handicap at Flemington on July 16 and Coffey, who has just one Group 1 in his resumé, is looking to give that number a significant boost in 2022.
Skyphios trainer Rob Blacker also has his gelding paid up for the $5 million G1 Cox Plate on October 22, with the $2 million dollar G1 Derby the following Saturday.
Early Guineas betting has Skyphios a longshot for tomorrow, but with one very impressive win from four career starts, the Fiorente youngster should not be as easily disregarded.
Coffey had been given the ride on Jet Jitsu this prep – with two wins and a second from his three starts.
“I have been lucky enough to ride him a few times now and we’ve been in the money – first or second – in all three goes, so the horse is going super,” he said.
“Andrew (Bobbin) is doing a good job, placing him well and keeping him nice and fresh like this gives him a real turn of foot after being ridden cold and that’s what we have seen today.”
Although Coffey did not mind confessing at the jump he had been a little more than concerned.
“Our first few strides out of the gate I was a little bit worried, I’d sort of been out the back all day and hadn’t been able to get amongst it,” he said.
“So I was, like, ‘here we go again’.
“But once he got into his work and found his rhythm, well we were sort of lucky that it actually worked out perfectly for us, they went quick early, then allowed us to catch up and then we outsprinted them late.
“And while it set up well for him it wasn’t the prettiest of wins and he had to do it the tough way out and around them.
“But he will win more races, and, as I said, Andrew is doing a great job with him.”
