Swan Hill jockey Harry Coffey adds another cup at Bendigo

Coffey partnered the improving stayer French Moon to a convincing victory in the $25,000 Marong Cup (2200m).

And just like his memorable Group 3 triumph aboard Wentwood in the Bendigo Cup, this cup was achieved on another Warrnambool-trained horse, with Symon Wilde claiming the training honours.

French Moon, by 2012 Bendigo Cup winner Puissance De Lune out of Manhattan Treasure, won for the third time in 11 starts.

The four-year-old gelding went around 6.5kg lighter than his last start second at Ballarat and came from near last at the 600m to surge past his rivals in the straight, winning by nearly three lengths over Sign Seal Deliver, with El Misk in third.

Coffey admitted to not always beings confident during the run.

"Things went a little bit pear-shaped from the 1000m, he had a lot of traffic issues," he said.

"But once he got clear at the 600m I knew it was race over, he was just ambling into it.

"It makes my job easy when they are too good."

The 26-year-old, who added his third win for the week following one apiece at Benalla on Friday and Swan Hill on Tuesday, pointed to a new-found maturity in French Moon from his last ride aboard the gelding at Sandown last month, three starts back.

"Mentally he's just taken a little while to bring it all together, but today's effort is probably the most mature effort he's shown," Coffey said.

"If he can continue to improve off that and keep it all together because as I said, mentally he hasn't really been able to run out a solid distance, but today's effort was brilliant.

"He might just be putting it all together now and go on with it.

"I led on him last time I rode him, but with the lack of maturity, he wasn't able to continue to run it out under solid pressure.

"Today, ridden a bit quieter, he relaxed nicely, we got a better result."

The win earned French Moon automatic qualification into the $150,000 Grand Handicap (2500m) at Flemington on All-Star Mile day (March 19).

With two cup wins to his credit at Bendigo within the space of three-and-a-half months, Coffey quipped 'it would be good to keep it going'.

"I love riding at Bendigo, not only is it not far from Swan Hill, but it's a beautiful track to ride," he said.

"I ride it alright and I seem to get a bit of luck.

"It's pretty cool to have won the Bendigo Cup and now also the Marong Cup.

Read more: Wentwood's dream cups run continues at Bendigo

"It was also awesome to get a win for John Sutcliffe and Gerry Ryan, who are the owners.

"Obviously Gerry was one of the major sponsors here at Bendigo and he's a Bendigo boy who loves winning races here."

Despite coming up short of a win, there were encouraging signs for Bendigo trainers on the seven-race program.

Graham Donaldson could be content with a second with his honest six-year-old gelding Buchan Hoaks, while the Brent Stanley-trained Dexa Bill was fourth in the same race, won by Sly Corner, and will be better second-up.

Stanley was further heartened by the performance of Mongolian Flame, who finished third, stepping up to 2200m for the first time.

Easily the unluckiest runner of the day was the Kym Hann-trained Swing With Junior, who was held up for a run behind Chevron Prince and Lady Cumberland down the straight, and went to the line well-held in sixth in the race won by Hurry Scurry.

Hann has an outstanding chance at Stawell on Tuesday in Elmore Lad, who has finished top-three in all five starts this preparation for one win

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