IT wasn’t just a heaven sent opportunity at the Geelong races on Saturday, it was also a case of classic Coffey.
In the $27,000 Henry Longfellow at Rosemont Stud Plate, the superstar Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey climbed aboard the three-year-old James Cummings filly Heavenfield in what was widely seen as a one-horse race.
Just not Coffey’s horse, running in blinkers for the first time.
Punters and pundits were all over the four-year-old Kavanagh trained gelding Russian Escape, which had been backed to within reach of even-money favourite by the time the field jumped.
But Coffey wasn’t hanging around to see how the hot pick would go over the 1300m and after jumping cleanly he joined Brutify (both coming from the widest gates) in a gallop around the field to take over the early running.
And then the pair simply ran away from everyone else so by the time there was still 800m to go they were several lengths clear of the field.
As they came around the corner, with 400m to run, Coffey called it early, said ‘see ya later’ to Brutify and went for home, stealing a three-length break as the rest bunched up behind him.
From there on it was just a matter of how hard he went and how much puff the others had – turns out he had gone more than hard enough to still be almost a length clear of the placegetters, who clearly had nowhere near enough to make it more of a race.
Paying $8.80 and leading home placegetters at 100/1 and 150/1 Coffey showed why he is such a king on country tracks.
Racing on his new blue saddle, a delighted Coffey speaking post-race said Heavenfield was good on the day, although perhaps a bit keen in the blinkers.
“But they did the trick and kept her concentrating and she got the job done,” Coffey explained.
“She sort of got into a solo rhythm in the end (turning into the straight) but with the blinkers on she was concentrating the whole way, but as I said, she was a little bit keen.
“She really wanted to get on with it but they really did do the trick and she probably won the race by breaking them up down the hill.
“So she was probably entitled to the win and she was having a good blow when we pulled up so she had really put in.”
Coffey described Heavenfield as an improving filly and said the blinkers definitely showed some good improvement so believed she would be the better for the run in them.
“And hopefully next time she just relaxes that tad nicer in them and that may allow her to be stronger at the end.”
Behind Coffey and his three-figure fellow placegetters, the more fancied in the field were strung out like Brown’s cows.
As for the red hot favourite, he has also probably finished by now too.
