Harry Coffey to team up with Duke De Sessa in Group 1 Champions Stakes test

Jockey Harry Coffey will be out to add to his memorable spring carnival when Duke De Sessa tackles Via Sistina in the Champions Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Harry Coffey knows he is about to take on one of racing’s biggest challenges – trying to upset devastating Cox Plate winner Via Sistina – but he can’t wait to join forces again with Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa in Saturday’s $3m Group 1 Champions Stakes.

Duke De Sessa provided Coffey with his greatest success in the saddle last month, staving off a fast-finishing Buckaroo to take out the Caulfield Cup.

A gallop on Monday morning convinced Coffey the horse was on track to perform well on Saturday, even if the dry track represents a worry.

FIELDS AND FORM FLEMINGTON SATURDAY

“I don’t know if he (Duke De Sessa) has the class that Via Sistina has, but I think he is going really well,” Coffey said.

“A lot of these horses have had a lot of racing, where he peaked in the Caulfield Cup and they backed off him and got him ready for this.

“So it might just calculate well for him.”

Harry Coffey after winning the Sportsbet Caulfield Cup on Duke De Sessa (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos via Getty Images)

That Caulfield Cup win came on a Soft 6 track, which Duke De Sessa appreciated, but the prospect of a firmer track is a concern.

“He thrives on soft ground and the track has been fast all week,” Coffey said. “But I galloped him on Monday morning and he went really well.

“It’s great to be in the race … I hope I am linked with him (Duke De Sessa) for a while now.

“He puts himself into a race and is as tough as they come. If the ground was soft I would be confident he is a top three chance.”

Coffey’s emotional win on Duke De Sessa was one of the inspiring stories of the Spring Carnival, given his lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis.

Asked about how his life had changed since the Caulfield Cup win, he said: “It’s been pretty normal, I have been working a lot since.”

“I’ve always done a lot of media due to the cystic fibrosis (focus). But it (the attention) has probably got on steroids in the past fortnight.

“It’s nice that Robbie (Dolan) has won the (Melbourne Cup); he might be the story of the carnival now.”

Originally published as Harry Coffey to team up with Duke De Sessa in Group 1 Champions Stakes test