SWAN Hill jockey Harry Coffey has snatched a gutsy Group 1 win on Queman at Caulfield on Saturday.
It is only the second Group 1 of the 28-year-old’s career – and his first in Melbourne.
Coffey’s inaugural Group 1 was the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville in Adelaide in 2018.
In a twist of fate, Queman is a South Australian-owned and trained horse brought over to tackle the Oakleigh. And Coffey’s first Group 1 ride was also in the Oakleigh.
“I stuffed that one up completely for trainer David Brideoake 11 years ago so this sort of makes up for that,” he laughed.
After a neck-and-neck slugging match the length of the straight with Michael Dee on Hypothetical, Coffey all but threw his horse forward in the shadow of the post to win by a clear nose.
Caught by mounted post-race interviewer Charlotte Littlefield as he started the return to the mounting yard, an obviously emotional Coffey conceded they had had to wait before starting the interview while he yelled some of his more excited words before going on camera.
He was given the ride on Queman when trainers Shane and Cassie Oxlade brought the horse to Melbourne back in January.
His first run was a win in the listed $175,000 WJ Adams Stakes at Caulfield on Australia Day and he was then rested until this afternoon.
“I did have to put in a little bit of a tough week at home. My wife Tayla had to put up with our 10-month-old son and an angry husband all week. We had some 40-degree days at Swan Hill and we were out there running in that (to make the 52kg weight).
“But we got it, what a thrill, this is why we are all in the sport, for Group 1s, and it’s amazing.”
Special report in The Guardian on Tuesday.
