COFFEY’S first win on Sunday wasn’t his easiest, on a horse with plenty to learn – and coming out of the Shane Fliedner stable (Coffey’s uncle).
“He’s still got a bit of snort in him, he’s a bit of a lad, so he makes life a little bit difficult for myself and Shane, but if we just keep going on quietly with him, hopefully we can iron it out,” Coffey said.
“And I think if he can put it all together he will definitely go on and win a few more races.
“Today wasn’t the strongest race, but Shane presented him in good order and he got the job done.”
Back in front of the microphone two races later, after steering the Maher/Eustace Royal Invader to a unexpectedly strong win, Coffey agreed the three-year-old filly “showed a bit of grit and was pretty tough, so she did a good job”.
He said the race plan had been to ride her in a really comfortable fashion, and if there had been more speed in the race “we would have been happy to take some cover”.
“David (Eustace) said to just ride her in a nice rhythm in cover and hopefully she would round off the race a little bit better,” Coffey explained.
“But there was a lack of pressure early, and she jumped very cleanly, and landed in front with her ears pricked, so I just had her on a nice rein and went with her.
“And we didn’t get harassed, and had a nice time along the side, and then built it up from the 600m, so it was a nice win.”
Nicer might have been a treble and the double, putting him one up on his cobber from Kerang – but there’s always tomorrow.
