Precious Charm digs deep in the 2026 Coastal Classic at Geelong

According to Harry Coffey, Precious Charm may not have been at her sharpest, but she still proved too tough when it mattered most at Geelong on Saturday.

The Symon Wilde-trained mare produced a courageous effort on a Good 3 surface to prevail in a gripping running of the $200,000 Coastal Classic (1700m).

It was her second major result in the space of a month after sharing first place with Holymanz in the Werribee Cup, and Coffey felt the determination she showed outweighed the slim winning margin.

“I don’t think she was at her best and she showed a real will to win,” Coffey said.

“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.”

Despite those challenges, the $3.90 second favourite recorded her ninth win from 23 starts, narrowly holding off Verdad ($6.50), with Reset The Jazz ($5.50) another head away in third.

Holymanz, a heavily-backed $2.35 favourite attempting to complete a hat-trick of Coastal Classic victories, enjoyed a favourable run just worse than midfield but failed to finish off, coming home fifth and 2¾ lengths adrift.

With Wilde already returning to Warrnambool following an earlier victory with Darkbonee, racing manager Ben Casanelia spoke on behalf of the stable and praised the mare’s preparation, having come into the race off a fifth placing in the Listed Lord Stakes.

“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,” Casanelia said.

“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.”

The Coastal Classic win also capped a winning day for Coffey, who earlier steered Sweethearted to victory for Phillip Stokes.

The post Precious Charm digs deep in the Coastal Classic first appeared on Just Horse Racing.