SWAN Hill’s Harry Coffey turned Wednesday’s Bendigo races into a family affair when he led from go to whoa with his uncle Shane Fliedner’s Shamateur to win the $37,500 Work Extensions Plate over 1100m.
The small field of six went hell for leather from the jump, with Coffey’s three-year-old gelding running outside race roughie Quoin until they straightened for home.
Which is when the challenges came – first from Iberian Lynx squeezing up the inside and heavily backed favourite Sussex Duchess also trying to match the leader’s turn of foot.
While the Lynx would hang on for third, not even the fast-finishing Moaksun could catch Coffey – and Sussex Duchess simply gave up the ghost to finish four lengths adrift (was there an omen of failure in that name?)
For a midweek maiden no one was left wondering when the dust settled.
The favourite’s trainer and backers will need to turn to an easier field, but the Coffey/Fliedner combination may have found something with potential.
Speaking post-race Coffey said everyone had plenty to say about the horse’s performance, adding “that’s what winning does to you” with a grin.
“Initially I thought the horse was going a touch hard within himself, but he does have a tendency to do that,” he said.
“But Shane didn’t want me to overthink things much today in the small field we had, and just wanted him to roll, similar to what he does when we trial him.
“When he’s doing that he gets to the front and chugs along and today he was vulnerable late – but with what he does wrong in the middle stages you are always going to be vulnerable late.
“However, when he learns what he is doing, and just respects me as the rider, and the horses and people around him, and puts more energy into racing, well he’ll be able to go up in the grades and do very well I think.”
Coffey, who ridden the horse a lot, said he thought there were signs Shamateur might be able to go out a little further in the future.
“Then last start he gave me some bad vibes when he got amongst them, and again today he just wanted to hook on a little bit, but Shane is of the opinion if we go out for a little bit more distance if he got to the front by himself he might switch off,” he added.
“So I am sure we will give that a go – but one thing about this horse is you go inside and watch the replay after riding him and I tell you what, you think to yourself ‘I don’t know whether I should be a jockey anymore’.
“Because he can make you look ugly – but today it’s all good, we won.”
Coffey had four rides at Bendigo, and managed a second, third and fourth in the others to complement his win.
