HARRY Coffey likes a finish with a flourish.
And the Swan Hill-based jockey turned one on again at The Valley on Saturday with Jennivamoose in the $130,000 Donnellans The Tyreman over a testing 2500m.
It was easy to follow Coffey’s progress on the well supported Ciaron Maher trained six-year-old mare – he settled 11th in the field of 12 and at every time check was still 11th.
With 400m to go there had been no change, but with the Valley’s notoriously short straight at that point it was pretty well now or never.
So Coffey steered his horse a little wider and started to whip around the outside as they were coming off the last turn – eventually five or six off the fence as he was pushed even wider by the horses in front.
At the 150m Jennivamoose was seventh of 12 but definitely going faster than anything else on the track.
By the 100m she was third and flying and 50m later went right by the pacemakers to run away with a 1.25 length win.
Now that’s a finish – and to rub it in Coffey was already rising in the irons and easing his horse as they crossed the line.
Post-race a jubilant Coffey said he is continually bagged by people for always falling asleep, but when the Maher stable told him they wanted Jennivamoose ridden patiently he thought “beautiful, I can do that”.
And he did; never once looking perturbed despite the leaders almost being out of sight for most of the race.
“Once we got to the school (about 800m out) and I looked up and we were a hell of a long way off them, I might have panicked a little bit,” Coffey admitted.
“But once I pulled her out and she quickened, as she can, and she just got around the bend so well, and still not in top gear, my unease was put aside and I was able to look good for the camera.
“She impressed me more today than her Sandown win two starts back but she had everything today the way she likes it.
“Whereas the win at Sandown in June she was closer to the speed, the race was slowly run, and I was held up.
“I also think she is a hell of a lot better at the Valley than Sandown but as she goes up through the grades, with better horses and more speed, I think will probably suit her – and she can still use her turn of foot at the end.”
