Harry Coffey isn’t one to make a big song and dance.
The laconic country kid turned Group 1 star knows there’s more to life than riding winners, even though it’s something he’s very good at.
It’s why Coffey, who won last year’s Caulfield Cup and is coming off one of his best seasons in the saddle with almost 100 wins, isn’t stressing about a lack of interest in his services for this year’s spring majors.
The last fortnight in September shapes as a pivotal period in the scheme of securing Group 1 rides in October and November so Coffey is focused on controlling the controllables – his mindset, his weight and, where possible, his form.
“I’ve had a couple of little feelers but nothing major yet so I’m still sitting on my hands,” Coffey said.
“I remember last year I got booked for Duke De Sessa after the Turnbull so that was probably a good learning curve for me that I don’t need to stress too much, too early.”
“Everyone rips and tears at this time of year and then they’re out of gas by the time the Caulfield Cup rolls around and there is still a lot of the spring to go. And when I won the Caulfield Cup, I thought ‘beautiful, I might snatch a nice ride in the Melbourne Cup’ but I didn’t even end up with a ride in the race.”
“The way I look at it is to work hard, ride well and keep my weight down and you never know what opportunity arises. If I’m back riding at Wycheproof on Derby Day, I’ll still have a good time and enjoy myself.”
🏆 Duke De Sessa wins the Caulfield Cup!
Ciaron Maher becomes the first trainer to win the Everest and Caulfield Cup on the same day.
👏👏#Caulfield pic.twitter.com/lWnk3Cy9Xm
— bet365 Australia (@bet365_aus) October 19, 2024
Coffey can advance his Group 1 tally to four in Saturday’s Rupert Clarke Stakes, in which he teams up with the Gavin Bedggood-trained Jennilala.
A Group 3 winner over 1600m and 1800m, the mare boasts a potent first-up record and Coffey believes she can run a race that belies her $101 quote in Bet365’s market.
“The key was her going well, which the trial suggests that she is, then she needed to draw a good gate, which she has,” he said.
“She should be able to run a nice race, although it is a very handy field. It is a tad stronger than it can be this year so she can run well but she’ll need everything to go right.”
“I’ve had a nice bit of luck when I get down to ride at these light weights in the handicaps – I rode Headwall at 52kg and he ran fourth in the Oakleigh Plate and second in the Newmarket. I’m not saying Jennilala is Headwall by any means but I think that if you can get down in the weights and choose the right horse, you can get rewarded.”
Duke De Sessa won’t feature in this year’s Caulfield or Melbourne Cups but Coffey said he may appear for a cameo in late spring.
