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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Harry Coffey has seen enough of Duke De Sessa in his autumn prep so far to be confident the Group 1 $1.5m Kia Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill would be within his reach on a dry track.

Jockey Harry Coffey (Pic: Racing Photos)

But throw in the prospect of rain in the lead up to Tuesday's race and the chance to add the weight-for-age feature to his Caulfield Cup win from the spring over 2400m is a source of great anticipation for the popular hoop.

Coffey does acknowledge there are many formlines converging in the Tancred but says the gelding couldn’t be arriving in Sydney in better spirits.

“His two runs have been very good and probably a little bit above expectation with it in mind we wanted to get to Sydney fit and raring to go and striking a soft track,’’ Coffey said.

“Even though the track was rated good first-up it actually raced more like a soft track and that allowed him to return so well.

“The other day on the firm deck, because he got held up and had an easy time he was still happy to sprint on that track. He’s very, very, good in the wet.

“The horse doesn’t owe anyone anything, whether he’s good enough to beat Vauban and Dubai Honour we don’t know but he’s going as well as he can.”

Duke De Sessa, $7 with TAB on Thursday, made his Australian debut in the 2023 Doncaster Mile, finishing eighth behind Mr Brightside, but it was last spring when he came of age with his Caulfield Cup win.

After a Group 3 success in the JRA Plate at Caulfield on February 8, the six-year-old showed he was on target with a luckless second in the Australian Cup Prelude over 2000m three weeks ago where Coffey says he probably should have won.

“I don’t think it would change much about anyone’s expectations because it’s quite clear he’s going well,’’ he said.

“It’s just good to see him running consistently and wanting to attack the line, also sprinting well although we mightn’t see that so much on a wet track on Saturday.”

The Tancred is a race lacking a noted leader and that’s something Coffey has noticed in the lead up to the race but it’s also something that appeals to him.

While not suggesting he’s planning to take up the running he says the race has a familiar feel about it.

“It looks very similar to how the Caulfield Cup played out in my view,’’ he said.

“We got a nice time early then Deny Knowledge went around and took it up and I used it as a bunny.

“A lot of his opponents like to let him be forward and use him as a bunny because he’s a horse who can truck into his race from the 600m or 800m. He’ll be in the first few again and there’ll be riders of other horses trying to get his back.”

Trainer Ciaron Maher concurs with Coffey’s assessment of the form Duke De Sessa is in and said he couldn’t be happier with how he’ll arrive at his major target.

“Usually you think he needs that bit of cut to find his best but his first-up run was super and he arguably wins the other day, he just got held up a little bit on the inside there,’’ Maher said on Melbourne radio.

“That’s not normally his style so I think he is in career best form and the weather looks like it’s going his way.

Middle Earth storms home down the straight in the Australian Cup Prelude 🚀

Mark Zahra and @cmaherracing both pick up doubles at Flemington 👏 pic.twitter.com/eTeS9kH4Ic

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) March 8, 2025

Duke De Sessa runs second at Flemington on March 8 (Video: 7Horseracing on X)

“It’s great to get Harry Coffey up to Sydney and hopefully they can stride around there and get the job done.”

Duke De Sessa has 56.5kg in next month’s Sydney Cup but he’s no guarantee to head there, though reigning Sydney Cup winner is headed toward a defence of that race.

A second-up fourth behind Vauban was enough to convince Maher that Circle Of Fire is tracking as hoped and he’s expecting further improvement in the Tancred.

“It was a solid run the other day and he enjoys the further trip, he’s certainly in good order and his runs have been full of merit,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Stakes day at Rosehill