Harry Coffey rides perfect four winners on CF Orr Stakes day at Caulfield

Harry Coffey had a perfect day in the saddle at Caulfield with four wins from as many rides to break a self-described lean run.

Harry Coffey returns to the mounting yard on Arabian Summer after claiming his fourth win from as many rides at Caulfield on Saturday. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Gilbert Gardiner and Brad Waters

Jockey Harry Coffey found the perfect way to break a self-described “lean run” at Caulfield.

Coffey’s win on the well-backed Arabian Summer gave the jockey his fourth win of the CF Orr Stakes meeting from as many rides.

Coffey started the day with a win on Unthinkable for trainer Mitch Freedman before saluting on Garachico for young horseman Dom Sutton ahead of victory on the returning Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa.

“I’ll be honest, I’ve had probably a slight bit of a lean patch and I was actually running through different occupations that I could be thinking of,” Coffey said after his win on Duke De Sessa.

“You go through them stages and then today, on a Group 1 day, I’ve turned up and ridden well and been on horses that have been able to take me to the right spots.”

Arabian Summer by a nose! 🤏@HTCoffey makes it FOUR for the day! 💥 pic.twitter.com/we6cB0iXqm

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 8, 2025

EMPHATIC FOR EMPHASIZE

A “fork in the road looms” for Emphasize after the staying talent coped with a stiff class rise at Caulfield.

The three-year-old jumped in grade from a Sale maiden to a 2000m Benchmark 70 race against older horses but handled the task with aplomb, holding off recent Flemington winner Inevitable Award ($4.40).

Trent Busuttin, who trains Emphasize in partnership with Natalie Young, said the NZ-bred galloper would tackle stakes class against his own age at his next start.

Busuttin said Emphasize could progress to either the Australian or South Australian Derby if things went to plan in the gelding’s next two starts.

“I would say a horse like this we would go to the (Group 2) Autumn Classic obviously and then hopefully you have a fork in the road and you either go to the Rosehill Guineas or the Alister Clark.”

Emphasize holds on and wins it tough! 💪@CWilliamsJockey for Trent Bussutin & Natalie Young pic.twitter.com/rlNphrtz3G

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 8, 2025

CAULFIELD CUP WINNER SURPRISES MAHER

Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sesaa made a stunning return to racing when scoring at good odds in the Group 3 JRA Plate (1600m).

Premier trainer Ciaron Maher showed little confidence in radio interviews leading up to the Caulfield race that Duke De Sessa could win first-up but the import stunned him with his win at $17.

“I actually didn’t think he’d win on top of the ground over a mile but it’s a lovely surprise,” Maher said.

Maher has Sydney staying targets in mind for Duke De Sessa but said he could test his charge at weight-for-age at Flemington before heading north.

“He might go through an Australian Cup now,” Maher said.

“That’s his plan, he may step out, it depends on what weight he gets when goes back to handicap conditions.”

Caulfield Cup champ Duke De Sessa salutes! 🫡@[e-mail]/6qLmEGNybh

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 8, 2025

OPTIONS FOR STAYER

Garachico returned a winner at Caulfield in the 2000m Benchmark 100 for trainer Dom Sutton.

The six-year-old, a 2800m Benchmark 96 winner last year on Melbourne Cup Day, drove through late on Saturday to defeat Grand Pierro and Shaiyhar in a tight finish.

Sutton expected Garachico to run well on Saturday but not win necessarily.

“I just thought there might be one or two sharper than him over the 2000 today,” Sutton said.

“We’ve got a couple of options, there’s the Roy Higgins and the Adelaide Cup and I guess you’ve got to look at a race like the Sydney Cup as well.”

The win sealed an early double for jockey Harry Coffey after Unthinkable won the first.

Originally published as Harry Coffey rides perfect four winners on CF Orr Stakes day at Caulfield