Harry has soft spot for Port Guillaume
Jockey Harry Coffey has always had a soft spot for the Ben and J D Hayes-trained Port Guillaume who registered his first Australian flat win when successful in the Murray Cox Handicap.
Purchased from France as a potential spring contender, Port Guillaume has had a number of problems since joining Lindsay Park before eventually finding his way over jumps, registering a win over hurdles at Ballarat last August.
Port Guillaume ran in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, finishing 21st behind Verry Elleegant.
“He’s got ability, but he needs everything to pan out his way because he is a bit of an old thinker,” Coffey said.
“I said to J D that I nearly rode him then as I did in the Melbourne Cup, but there was a lot of difference in the finishing positions.
“To be fair he’s a pretty special horse. I got to have my first Melbourne Cup ride and even though he went terrible, it was good to get a win on him today.”
J D Hayes said Port Guillaume was unlikely to record to Flemington for the final of the Banjo Paterson Series at Flemington on July 1 with a planned return to hurdling coming up.
Ton up for Prime and Payne
Prime Thoroughbreds principal Joe O’Neill and trainer Patrick Payne have continued their successful association with Seonee taking out the Bruce Gadsden Handicap (1420m).
The Devil In Her notched the pair’s 100th winner together at Tatura on Friday and O’Neill said Seonee’s win on Saturday was the pair eighth winner since May 29.
“He’s done a fabulous job for us,” O’Neill said.
“I spoke to him in 2013 and I said, ‘can you train two-year-olds' and he said, ‘of-course I can’.
“I bought him Husson Eagle, and he won $1 million, and I think we have spent $2 million on 31 horses and won $8 million in prize money.”
O’Neill said Seonee, a winner of six of her 16 starts, was still 12 months away from reaching her full potential.
“I think at the Sydney Carnival next year, she could be a player as she loves wet tracks,” O’Neill said.
“We have to get her rating up to run in the better mares’ races.”
O’Neill said Seonee may return to Flemington on July 1 for the final of the Leilani Series, but added he would not be surprised if Payne recommended a short break to prepare for the early spring mares’ races.