CHASING perfection – and at odds-on – is a very tough place to be when every eye is on you.
But it didn’t seem to faze Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey when he saddled up for the much anticipated return of promising three-year-old filly Fieldelo at Bendigo on Friday.
On November 24, Fieldelo, ridden by Coffey’s best mate Jye McNeil, won its debut race at Seymour in a small field and very tight finish.
Showing so much potential everyone was keeping an eye wide open for its next outing – especially as the horse it beat in that race has gone on to be a city winner.
But in the end punters have had to be seriously patient as it has been more than six months coming.
Trainer Toby Lake conceded they had plans to go much quicker and had been very impressed with the filly even though she had done a few things wrong in the first run.
“We were going to give her a little rest and then set her for some races and then she got a virus, so we tipped her out,” Lake explained.
“The owners have been so supportive of what we have been doing with her, and this looks like it might be the prep where they all get rewarded,” he said.
All of which he predicted before the field jumped in the $27,000 bet365 Never Ordinary Handicap over 1000m.
Lugging a hefty 62.5kg and being sent out odds-on favourite, Fieldelo showed it has learnt plenty since its first start – helped by a series of jump outs.
Two of those were in January and February and two more earlier this month.
When the field jumped, Coffey got the horse exactly where Lake had expected – in the first four and close to the pace.
As they swung towards the straight Coffey popped the question and the filly steadied and then unleashed a blistering turn of foot that made the also-rans look as if they were set in stone, winning by six lengths with ears pricked and being pulled up before hitting the line.
“Toby seems a bit more relaxed now than he did pre-race, he might have had a bit of sweat on the brow at that point,” Coffey laughed.
“But I suppose you’re allowed to have a bit of sweat when you are thinking they will go really well and she proved that as she really let down nicely.
“She didn’t beat much but I love the way she quickened – at the top of the straight she gave me a nice feel and then she probably idled off but still had the ability to get away from them late.
“So I’d say there will be tougher races in store, and she’ll have to improve again, but today, what a way to return to the races.”
Coffey said he thought Fieldelo’s talent will take her into those tougher races, and she will benefit from a drop in weight and get down a bit lower if they place her aggressively in her next races.
All of which he said will aid her turn of foot and the way she finishes.
“So I think the team has handled her really well, because she is a little bit hot, which I have known all the way through from being at the jump outs and watching her,” Coffey added.
“I have been watching her pretty closely and Jacob Rule (riding most of the jump outs) has been doing a good job.
“The rider who won on her in her first start is a really good friend, and he let me have the reins today, and that’s nice, and we might have to have an arm wrestle now on who takes over again.”
