Miss Coupersland snatches victory by a nose
In a thrilling finish, Miss Coupersland, expertly ridden by apprentice jockey Richie Shakes, edged Gelroy by a nose to win the $730,000 Maiden Condition Race for native-bred four-year-olds and upward over 5 furlongs (1,000m) straight on Saturday, February 1, 2025
Out of the gates, Miss Coupersland vied for the early lead with Lord Espo (Roger Hewitt), Ruby’s Light (Rotajmar Weir), and Gelroy (Richard Henry). The four horses battled for supremacy, with each jockey determined to get their mount to the front.
As the field approached the dummy rails, Gelroy took command, with Miss Coupersland settling into second place. It seemed as though Gelroy had the race in the bag, but Shakes had another plan.
In a daring move, Shakes switched Miss Coupersland to the outside of Gelroy inside the final furlong. The filly responded by surging forward, her nose inches from Gelroy’s as they approached the wire. Ruby’s Light finished third.
Trained by Phillip Lee, the grey filly clocked 1:03.2 (24,4 x 49.0) for the distance.
— Ruddy Allen
