Harry Coffey was the beneficiary of another Australian winner for Mark Walker, with Rubicon Crossing scoring the first on Grand Final Day at Mornington to complement Imperatriz’s stunning Group 1 Moir Stakes win on Friday night at The Valley.
The three-year-old daughter of Rubick was brought to Australia after showing good ability as a juvenile in New Zealand, winning her maiden on debut and placing in two listed events.
Punters sided with the Australian form, sending the Hayes brothers’ Pride Of Sullivan out a $2.10 favourite following some good city form, leaving Walker’s runner a $5.50 second elect.
But the Lindsay Park runner, who was mapped to lead, missed the kick, forcing him to race three-wide and giving Rubicon Crossing a lovely trail, barely two lengths from the leaders with cover.
Coffey got moving on the long final bend, looping the field, and hitting the lead at the top of the straight.
It was an easy watch late for followers, as the pair kicked three lengths clear and trotted to a comfortable win, with Zousuko ($6.50) grabbing Pride Of Sullivan late for second.
Coffey was delighted with filly’s performance post-race, leaving all honours to his mount’s composed performance even after being a touch slow away.
“We probably envisioned her being in the first two or three, but Ben (Gleeson) said to me Mark indicated that if she was to switch off, she’d have a good turn of foot,” he said.
“Maybe it was a blessing that she missed the start, and there was good speed; we just tracked the race and she let rip.
“The team is doing a great job with her, and I just come on race day and make her look good.”
With the Te Akau Australian division in superb form, Coffey would gladly don their colours again if asked, but accepts that a stable of that size can operate these things according to a hierarchy.
“I think it might be a bit of a pecking order, especially with Opie (Bossom) flying in and out as he pleases, and Mick Dee keeps a close eye on them too,” he said.
“But really good to get an opportunity from the stable, don’t know how it came about but you make the most of it and that’s what I did.”
Te Akau’s Ben Gleeson, who heads up the group’s Australian branch in Cranbourne, said while the filly still has some development to come physically, she appears to have returned with much improved racing manners.
“She’s still developing, she’s a small, neat filly and she’s still got a bit to come in terms of muscling up,” he said.
“Just to see her racing pattern today improve, it panned out really well for her missing the kick … she was able to get the back of the Hayes’ horse, Harry gave her a fantastic ride.
“She’s got an awkward high head carriage, but she didn’t really over-race, he just let her build into it, and it was good to see that turn of foot after she’d relaxed for us.”
