SWAN Hill’s Harry Coffey sent a clear message to trainers at Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup meeting when he staged a strategic masterclass to win the first of the day – the $50,000 BRB Electrical Plate over 1400m.
The country cups king won the 2021 and 2022 Bendigo Cups but, in an inexplicable oversight, wasn’t given a ride this year despite big stables vying for the $500,000 race.
Instead Coffey linked up with the McEvoy stable he rode four winners for last week at Ballarat.
He guided heavily backed filly Alectrona to an emphatic victory, which trainer Tony McEvoy praised as soon as they crossed the line.
“Harry did a really good job there, he had a bit of pressure which we didn’t foresee on the map and he had a decision to make,” McEvoy said.
“He kept his mettle and he felt he was on the best horse, so he held the lead, and it was a really good decision, as the horse that took him on dropped out.
“I thought the filly was then very brave and did a good job.
“When Harry needed that turn of foot she was not only able to hold them comfortably, she dropped the rest of the field.
“This is the exciting thing about fillies like these, we don’t know what their ceiling is yet, and we have her in a couple of black type races and she’s still in the Thousand Guineas.”
McEvoy said he had no real hesitations going out to the mile with his beautifully bred $240,000 Magic Millions purchase.
Coffey, philosophical about missing out on a potential cup hat-trick, said Alectrona was well placed in the yard and presented brilliantly.
“Her run matched that, so a good effort by the McEvoy team,” he said.
“We had wanted to just lead and take the luck out of it, but it got a little bit tricky with one breathing down our neck most of the way.
“But I was able to absorb that and I was really pleased with the way she handled herself – a lot of the time when horses are breathing down the necks of other horses they get quite fired up, but she was just staying relaxed and in her rhythm.
“Which is what allowed me to go on and win the race.
“She could probably step up in distance and grade. I will leave that to the team, but she has been terrific of late, and her runs leading up to this have been in some very strong maidens.”
Coffey had to wait almost five hours for his only other ride of the day – steering Andrew Bobbin’s Belthil to third in the $100,000 bet365 Handicap (1400m).
