HARRY ‘Head Bob’ Coffey has done it again – this time in the $200,000 Group 3 Catanach’s Jewellers MRC Foundation Cup over 2000m at Caulfield on Saturday.
And getting Positivity up in the last stride – again – may also have secured Coffey a ride in the $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup on October 19 as the Foundation Cup winner gets a golden ticket into the first leg of the Spring Carnival cups double.
There is one snag, however: Coffey rode Saturday at 54kg – Positivity has been given 50kg in the cup.
But the irrepressible Coffey says he is prepared to go on a brown rice diet to make the weight.
The win by the four-year-old Anderew Forsman-trained mare certainly threw the proverbial cat among the pigeons by knocking over some seriously fancied rides on the day.
And punters clearly thought the horse had little chance as, it opened betting at 10/1 and quickly drifted out to 15s and beyond, eventually paying $15.50 for the win.
The well-backed St George finished fourth but less than half a length adrift, while race favourite Immediacy finished somewhere up the creek.
Positivity jumped well from gate three and was tucked away on the rails, just off the pace for most of the journey before Coffey kicked it around the pacemakers, bullocked his way through a gap and headed for home.
In the end the camera was needed to split all three placegetters (the margins would be a short head by a nose, with fourth a head away) but Coffey and his trademark habit of winning in the last possible nanosecond got the nod.
“It’s a good feeling,” Coffey said post-race.
“And it’s awesome for this horse to run some consistent races and get rewarded for it today.”
Coffey rode Positivity into second in the $200,000 Heatherlie Stakes at the same track on August 31.
“For Andrew and his team travelling horses over to Australia, it can be tough, but they have showed time and time again that they can do it,” Coffey said.
“It’s nice for that team to get some rewards, and I have had my own little bit of luck for Andrew now so it’s good to keep paying the faith.
“She might have been the pick of the yard but once she was in there it wasn’t for very long.
“Once I got on her she was on a bit of a mission and wanted to get out on the track.
“She is a real scopey, lengthy type and I don’t reckon she really fully knows what’s going on yet.
“There is still a lot of raw ability there and it was good for her to win this race – this is a launching pad into the spring and any horse that wins it is going the right way.”
Not only was Coffey’s ride a signature win, it was also helped by Forsman’s decision to scratch from Flemington the previous weekend after weather conditions caused the track to deteriorate.
