Horror fall on Saturday, procedure on Sunday … Melbourne Cup on Tuesday? Jockey’s bid for miracle ride

Danny Russell
Injured jockey Harry Coffey is sweating on last-minute medical clearance to take his place in Tuesday’s $10.2 million Melbourne Cup.

Coffey is booked to partner Ciaron Maher’s lightweight fancy Shockletz in the 3200-metre staying test, but is in a race against the clock to recover from a suspected broken collarbone.

Connections said Coffey underwent a small procedure on Sunday and was waiting on his doctor to determine whether his injuries were stable enough to ride.

The 31-year-old father of two took a heavy tumble in the second-last race on Derby Day, sending a shockwave across the Flemington crowd.

Racegoers feared for his safety as images on the big screen showed Coffey being catapulted into the air after his mount Pondalowie clipped heels and fell.

“He has not been ruled in, he has not been ruled out,” Coffey’s manager Dean Hawkes said of the Cup ride on Sunday.

The 2024 Caulfield Cup-winning hoop’s ability to cope with pain was evident after Saturday’s mid-race fall.

He pulled himself to his feet and walked back to the mounting yard, cradling his arm, before taking part in a stewards’ inquiry. He was then taken to hospital.

Pondalowie was captured by a clerk of the course in the Flemington straight after the scary incident. The six-year-old mare was cleared of injury by vets.

The fall happened at the 500m mark and had officials on high alert, following a horse death during the Caulfield Cup earlier this month.

After speaking to Coffey, stewards released a report clearing all riders of any blame.

“It was established that when the tempo quickened, Pondalowie, despite the efforts of Coffey, shifted in slightly when laying in, resulting in Pondalowie clipping the heels of Cilacap and falling,” stewards said.

Maher and Shockletz’s connections will be anxiously awaiting Coffey’s call in case they need to find a replacement rider for the Cup third favourite.

“We’ll give Harry every opportunity and if he can’t do it we’ll find someone else,” Maher said at the Melbourne Cup barrier draw.

“It’s a legitimate chance, so anybody would be disappointed if they were riding that horse and they weren’t able to [through injury].”

Lightweight jockey Michael Dee has put his hand up for the Shockletz gig if Coffey is ruled out.

He gave up his ride on mare Strictly Business, which will be ridden by Dean Yendall.

‘I don’t feel that’s good enough’: International crack at Melbourne Cup technology

Peter Ryan
Joseph O’Brien’s racing manager Kevin Blake has called for emergencies to become part of the Melbourne Cup after stewards scratched Defiantly on Saturday due to concerns about his gait.

The stewards had to make the decision three days out from the race due to the need to lock in the field of 24 at 4.30pm on Saturday, despite the fact the horse may have made the necessary improvement in the remaining two days to take his place.

Emergencies are considered impossible because betting technology can’t handle late inclusions to a field of 24.

It means if there are late scratchings between 4.30pm Saturday and the race start, fewer runners will race rather than the next qualified horses in the order of entry being granted a start.

“We know it’s rigorous, we know it’s tough, and so we’re not going to cry about [the decision]. We’re all big boys and girls, but probably the main takeaway from it is they probably need to sort out their emergency situation,” Blake said.

“I’m a guest here so I don’t want to be telling people what to do, but for the reason to be that the technology can’t cope with more than 24 runners in 2026 … I don’t feel that’s good enough.”

Defiantly’s withdrawal gives stablemate Kizlyar a start, meaning the O’Brien stable still has five runners – but it robs the race of a natural leader, with the four-year-old gelding a noted frontrunner.

Blake said the jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, who had been booked to ride Defiantly, would now jump on Sons And Lovers, who was the best drawn of their five starters with barrier three.

He said local jockeys James McDonald and Craig Williams would need to weave some magic to their mounts Trustyourinstinct and James J Braddock in a good spot after they drew barriers 18 and 24 respectively.

McDonald is the in-form jockey after an exhilarating Derby Day where he won four races including the Derby and Trustyourinstinct is sure to win support due to his presence in the saddle.

“James is going to have to work his magic to get in and get cover [and] get him racing efficiently, but he is a very classy horse unexposed to the trip,” Blake said.

“[He] looks to have a leading chance in the book, so you just hope he gets a kind spin from the draw.”

Last year’s runner-up Goodie Two Shoes is said to be in better form than last season and is expected to carry big bets from his owner J.P. McManus. Blake also talked up Kizlyar’s chances despite his disappointing run in the Moonee Valley Cup, which became a sit and sprint at the finish.

Defiantly may run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday as a consolation, with O’Brien due to fly in from the Breeders’ Cup, which is raced in the US, on Monday.

Meanwhile at Werribee, Ethan Brown was pleased with Point of Law’s work on Sunday when he visited the horse he rode to victory in the Geelong Cup.

Ryan to front stewards inquiry

Danny Russell
Trainer Nick Ryan is expected to front a Racing Victoria stewards inquiry on Monday on a charge of possessing syringes containing a synthetic EPO.

Stewards raided Ryan’s Flemington stables on Derby Day morning and allegedly found syringes in the glove box of his car containing Darbepoetin Alfa – a man-made stimulating agent that mimics a natural hormone.

Darbepoetin Alfa is listed as a prohibited substance under the rules of racing. As a result, Ryan’s two runners on Derby Day – Doubt Time and Anglais – were scratched.

Stewards will seek further evidence from the former jockey at Monday’s hearing after he reserved his plea on Saturday. The hearing will be closed.

Stewards have the power to suspend Ryan until the charge against him is heard if they believe his case prejudices the “image, interests, integrity or welfare of racing”.

They will also decide on Monday whether Ryan can run last-start winner Terrortorian in the second race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.

Read more from our racing coverage

News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.