Precious Charm digs deep to land Coastal Classic
Trained by Symon Wilde, in-form 6YO mare scores gritty head-win in Geelong feature
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Precious Charm (Harry Coffey, centre) bursts through the pack to gain the verdict in the Coastal Classic (1,700m) at Geelong on Jan 3.
PHOTO: RACING AND SPORTS
Follow topic:
GEELONG – Jockey Harry Coffey claims she was not at her best, but Precious Charm was still able to continue her fruitful summer with a feature success at Geelong on Jan 3.
The Symon Wilde-trained mare turned in a gritty performance to take out a thrilling edition of the A$200,000 (S$172,000) Coastal Classic (1,700m).
The victory came four weeks after the Per Incanto mare shared the spoils with Holymanz in the Werribee Cup (1,600m) on Dec 7, 2025, and Coffey said the merit of win was much greater than the head-winning margin.
“I don’t think she was at her best and she showed a real will to win,” said Coffey.
“She might have been feeling that firm ground on the back-up, so it took a lot of urging to get her to win, but she may have been looking after herself.
“That’s understandable, she’s done a great job, she’s been racing in true heart and this track’s starting to get firm now, and I don’t know if that’s right in her wheelhouse.”
The $18 shot stretched her record to nine wins and one second from 23 starts with the victory over Verdad (Patrick Moloney), who finished a head clear of third placegetter Reset The Jazz (Jackson Radley).
Holymanz (Michael Dee) was the heavily-supported favourite who was shooting for a third-straight Coastal Classic.
The Ciaron Maher-trained galloper enjoyed a good run just worse than midfield and gave his backers hope rounding the home turn, but battled only in the final 150m and finished fifth, beaten 2¾ lengths.
With Wilde returning to Warrnambool after he pulled off a double with Darkbonee winning earlier in the day, racing manager Ben Casanelia represented the stable in the post-race interview.
He was full of praise for the six-year-old galloper, who headed to Geelong off a fifth in the Listed Lord Stakes (1,600m) at Sandown Lakeside on Dec 26, 2025.
“It has been a fantastic preparation and she has always probably had the ability, but it has taken some time to get there and it has all come together for her,” said Casanelia.
“She had no weight and she was drawn well. She is in form and the negatives were probably the harder track and the back-up because you’re never quite sure how mares will back up.
“She put it together and Harry rode her an absolute treat.”
Wilde was not the only member of the Precious Charm team who brought up a double with the Coastal Classic win.
Coffey also made it back-to-back wins after claiming the previous race aboard Sweethearted ($19) for trainer Phillip Stokes.
Meanwhile, two-year-old filly Moana Spirit ($35) remains unbeaten at her second start in the A$150,000 Geelong Diamond (1,100m) for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
Ridden by Luke Currie, the daughter of Tagaloa won by two lengths over the Maher-trained debutante and race favourite Ghana’s Akan (Jamie Melham), with Fine Sierra (Luke Cartwright) a further length away in third.
A homebred filly by Yu Long Investments, the daughter of 2020 Group 1 Blue Diamond (1,200m) winner Tagaloa may have her chance to do the same in the A$2 million Victorian highlight for juveniles, but a start in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (1,000m) at Caulfield on Jan 24 is a likely stepping stone towards her main target on Feb 21.
“Everything about her tells us that she’s going to be better at three, but she’s two-from-two, she’s won her way in today,” said Calvin McEvoy.
“We might keep her a fresh head towards a Preview maybe, and then hopefully she’s there for the Blue Diamond.”
Moana Spirit won on debut at Morphettville Parks over 1,000m on Dec 6, 2025. RACING AND SPORTS
