HARRY Coffey rides for millions of dollars in prizemoney on Saturday January 13– but he would rather not talk about it.
But if all goes well, on Monday morning he would be delighted to talk to anyone about everything because all going well means he will have won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic – and/or the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.
Both are $3 million races and Coffey has been handpicked by the powerful McEvoy stable to ride boom filly Arabian Summer in the 2YO event and Sunset Dreaming in the 3YO Guineas.
Tony McEvoy could have picked any of the cream of the crop – from Hugh Bowman to J-Mac – but Coffey has been in scintillating form in recent seasons, cracking 100 winners for the first time two years ago, just missing a repeat performance in 2022/23, and is ranked well inside the top 10 in the current season.
Swan Hill’s Coffey, who will have his first rides on the ultra-rich Magic Millions on Saturday, has ridden the Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Arabian Summer in all three of her starts, including last Saturday on the Gold Coast when the filly exploded over the final 200m to stamp herself as a serious contender (with punters agreeing as the horse is sitting at $7).
With that track record, there was little chance any other jockey would get the call for Arabian Summer.
“To ride the Gold Coast last weekend and win with Arabian Summer was an amazing experience, but Saturday is what it is all about and everyone is on a good horse and the riders in both races are the best in the business,” Coffey says.
“It has been an amazing week, Tayla and our son Thomas have been up here with me, and each morning I do trackwork for the McEvoys then have the rest of the day to ourselves, it has been fantastic,” he added.
“Arabian Summer has drawn barrier nine and Sunset Dreaming is going from 15, but the track is so good I am not sure those gates will make a big difference.
“Riding the opposite way is no challenge for me either, from very early in my career, because we lived right on the border, I was doing a lot of riding in NSW, and that’s the other way, too.
“But we are grateful for the chance to be here and for the rides I have in my first Magic Millions in Queensland.”
McEvoy says he was always going to give Coffey the ride because he has hardly missed a beat for them.
“It’s very easy for us trainers just to ring up and get the star jockeys – it’s just a phone call, really, if you have the right horse,” McEvoy says.
“But I assure you that Harry will ride my horse as well as anyone else could. Harry has been there doing all the work for us and he’s a great horseman with a lot of ability.
“All he was lacking was the opportunity and I am blessed to have been able to give him one.”
“In any walk of life, you have to be a decent human being and people will get around you,” McEvoy added.
“Harry is a star – he is a Group 1 person with a Group 1 pedigree. He’s come from a long line of really good, hard working Aussies.
“It’s such a physical thing being a jockey to ride these racehorses and for him to be able to do it with his health condition is incredibly good.
“The only thing Harry knows is how to work hard.”
And, hopefully, win.
