SWAN HILL jockey Harry Coffey had a successful 2023-24 racing season and will return from an injury-forced lay-off with a top booking of five rides at the bet365 Mildura meeting on Saturday.
Coffey had his last ride on June 12 and has had a near two-month absence due to a scaphoid fracture in his wrist after falling off an injured horse after the winning post during the Swan Hill Cup Carnival.
“It takes time to get over a scaphoid injury, but it went pretty smoothly and I did enjoy my time out to freshen up, especially at this time of the year,” Coffey said.
Coffey can achieve a successful meeting on his return to riding here on Saturday as he will team up with in-form Plumpton trainer Patrick Payne on Zebedee Springs, Bunjil and En Primeur as well as Smart Elissim and Wareo Road, who are both trained by his father Austy.
“I had a good season and I am looking forward to being back as I enjoy riding at Mildura,” Coffey said.
“I have good rides at the meeting, but it will be great just to be back race riding and to get some confidence.”
Visiting Bordertown trainer Jeff Searle will be hoping to make the trek worthwhile with the consistent galloper So You Can in the bet365 Handicap.
So You Can will be ridden by the leading jockey at Mildura last season in Brad Rawiller, who was dominant over the two-day Cup Carnival last month.
So You Can has been placed at his past two outings, including a last-start second at this circuit during the Cup Carnival. He made up many lengths in the home straight to be beaten in a close finish, and he can go one placing better this time.
Angelone will provide plenty of opposition in the race for the Kylie and Steven Vella stable, who are currently on a working holiday in the district.
Angelone finished fourth here on July 20 behind Putanothercoinin and should be at peak fitness now after having three runs back from a spell.
The first of seven races on the program will be run at 12.36pm, and the Patrick Payne (trainer) and Harry Coffey (jockey) partnership can get off to a winning start with the lightly raced five-year-old Zebedee Springs.
Payne was the leading trainer at Mildura last season, while Coffey was runner-up in the jockey title, and they can start off the new racing season at Sandilong Park in winning form as Zebedee Springs has had six trials to be ready for a top first-up showing.
Entry to the meeting will be free of charge.
SELECTIONS
1: 11 Zebedee Springs, 3 Here Comes Wozza, 2 Collated, 7 The Violet Prince
2: 7 Wareo Road, 5 Tenterk, 10 Shes Indanile, 1 Grundy Three Votes
3: 5 Detoron, 8 Ocean Mocean, 3 Ring The Sheriff, 1 Irlandais
4: 2 Nama Dude, 3 King Of The World, 1 Salassi, 8 Black Marmalade
5: 3 Let Her Rain, 8 First Division, 4 Silvagni, 7 Smart Elissim
6: 3 So You Can, 2 Angelone, 8 En Primeur, 4 Bon Hombre
7: 3 Bunjil, 2 Pontmeirion, 10 Timbolton, 5 Onehundred Percent
