Two prominent jockeys, James McDonald and Rachel King, have voiced their understanding of the immense effort Harry Coffey is expending in his pursuit of a Melbourne Cup ride, even while managing an injury.
Coffey suffered a fractured collarbone following a fall in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday. He underwent a procedure on Sunday, aiming to be fit to ride Shockletz in the upcoming Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026.
James McDonald, who is booked to ride Trustyourinstinct, mentioned that the most severe injury he has contended with while riding was a broken toe, ‘touch wood’.
“It’s like a Grand Final for us jockeys,” McDonald stated. “This is the race that stops the nation, so you’d try and get up for anything. It’s tough going, and we saw it with Mark Zahra and Jye McNeil the other day. It’s a game of inches and there’s nowhere to hide.”
Rachel King shared similar sentiments, acknowledging the difficulties that can lead to a jockey being sidelined.
“I’ve been through a few injuries myself and know how hard it is, and I’m sure he won’t be there unless he’s 100 percent,” King commented. “It’s amazing what he is doing and going through. It proves how much it means to us jockeys.”
Bjorn Baker, the trainer of So You Are, declared that jockeys are, pound for pound, the most fearless athletes in the world.
“Harry Coffey is remarkably tough and he’s a great, great person, and hopefully he’s A OK,” Baker said. “He’s resilient and as tough as teak and I think that’s what a lot of the jockey’s do. Pound for pound, they are the toughest, fittest, most fearless sportsmen and women in the world, and I do not say that lightly.”
McDonald is seeking his second Melbourne Cup victory, having previously won aboard Verry Elleegant in 2021, a race held with restricted crowds due to COVID. His mount, Trustyourinstinct, is set to start from barrier 18, the same starting position Verry Elleegant occupied when she won the Cup.
“Someone texted me to say that the last horse to jump out of barrier 18 was Verry Elleegant to win the race,” McDonald revealed. “I will be taking that as a positive.”
McDonald recalled competing against Trustyourinstinct’s trainer, Joseph O’Brien, during their earlier careers and expressed his anticipation of riding the stayer for its esteemed Irish owner, JP McManus.
“His colours are so famous around the world. He’s won big races around the world and he’s an icon of racing,” McDonald explained. “He’s never won the Melbourne Cup, so it would be pretty special. There will be nerves thinking about it tonight and tomorrow as it’s our pinnacle race, it and the Cox Plate and The Everest. It’s the Holy Grail that we strive to achieve. I’ve been lucky enough to win it once and I’d like to bottle all that up and do it again. It’s an honour to ride for the connections, an Irish runner, and it would be pretty special if we can get the job done. He’s a great chance.”
King, who has yet to finish in the placings in five previous Melbourne Cup rides, believes So You Are offers her best chance this year.
“I’m really confident he can run well,” King stated. “He’s not the finished product yet and there’s more to come but this preparation he’s got better and better. He’s a very fit horse and he’s as confident as I am.”
For Baker, a victory with So You Are would represent a form of redemption for his father, Murray, who finished second in the 1990 Melbourne Cup with The Phantom.
With the Melbourne Cup now recognised as a truly international race, Baker feels a sense of representing Australasia.
Having grown up in New Zealand and now operating his training stable at Warwick Farm in Sydney, Baker is proud of his regional connection.
“I really feel I’m representing Australasia when I go into a race like this with a true Aussie bred, tough stayer, and the underdogs can win,” Baker said. “Murray couldn’t quite do it. In 1990, he’s still got the second fastest time ever in the Melbourne Cup when The Phantom was beaten by Kingston Rule. It was a race record. It was the one that got away and he will dream that we can do it.”
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