Jockey Martin Harley keen to resume Cool Archie partnership
A rejuvenated Martin Harley is hoping that gun colt Cool Archie can put him on the map in the same way that mighty mare Winx defined the career of fellow jockey Hugh Bowman.
Irish hoop Harley returned to Brisbane on Saturday night after a much-needed holiday back home where he celebrated his epic Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) victory on Cool Archie at Eagle Farm last month with family and friends.
Of course, Harley doesn't expect the Chris and Corey Munce-trained colt to win a world-record 33 consecutive races like the legendary Winx, but he knows that a quality horse like Cool Archie comes along once in a blue moon.
Winx had six different riders during her illustrious career that netted more than $26m in prizemoney before her retirement in April 2019, but she will forever be associated with Bowman and champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Harley's JJ Atkins victory – which broke a 10-year drought since his last Group 1 – was just reward for his hard work, dedication and persistence after overcoming a potentially career-threatening broken neck suffered in a sickening mid-week race fall in 2023.
'The real exciting thing about having a serious injury two years ago to even being not sure if I'd ride again and then for him to do what he did and put me back on the Group 1 map, in a way he certainly has changed my life in different avenues,' Harley said.
'A lot of jockeys can win if they get the right animal but when you stumble across a horse like that, it could be real life-changing moving forward.
'Look at the Winx story regarding Hugh Bowman. And I'm not saying it'll be like that but he could be an Everest horse and (owner) Max Whitby obviously has a slot.
'There could be serious potential going forward so I'll keep my fingers crossed and we'll take it from there. To live the dream like that would be unbelievable.'
• Beriman's appeal for concussion protocols to be strengthened
Whitby has declared that Cool Archie should be a shoo-in for Australian Two Year Old of the Year honours during a gala ceremony in Brisbane on August 31.
'I would definitely agree and not just because I've been riding him,' Harley said.
'For a horse to go from a maiden to a Group 1 winner in the space of two months - over all different distances and kinds of tracks - he has conquered more than any other two-year-old in Australia this year.'
The father-and-son Munce partnership has said that Cool Archie would be spelled for the spring and set for next autumn's $4m Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.
It comes after a gruelling winter campaign in which the colt embarked on an incredible five-race winning streak in all conditions.
Martin Harley steers Cool Archie home in the Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography
• Rutledge's 'omen' win on The Irish written in the stars
While Cool Archie is resting, a recharged Harley will be coming down from cloud nine to reset for the 2025-26 racing season in Brisbane which starts on Friday.
Looking at the bigger picture, the affable Irishman hopes to travel interstate this spring carnival for a few feature races after proving he can handle the pressure of riding in majors.
'Sydney and Melbourne are tough, there are a lot of good jockeys there, but I'll be putting my hand up for a few rides down south if I can get them,' he said.
'You can get brought back to earth pretty quickly in this game but we showed them we can score at the top level and can get the job done in high-pressure races.
'But I'm definitely not getting too far ahead of myself. I had five Group 1 winners that came pretty quick and then it took another 10 years to crack it for my other one (in the JJ Atkins).'
Jockey Martin Harley. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography
• 'This isn't a novelty': Female hoops set up for success
In the meantime, Harley can look back at that memorable day on June 14 when his dream of finally winning a Group 1 in Australia became reality.
'I went into the jockeys' room that day and I can honestly tell you, there wasn't one jockey who begrudged me the win,' he said.
'They were that happy for me and that made me even more proud.'
Originally published as Rejuvenated Martin Harley hopes gun colt Cool Archie will define his career
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Check out who has touched down for the Newcastle Jets after a marathon trip
JOE Shaughnessy, a key piece to the Jets jigsaw puzzle, has touched down in Newcastle. The Irish defender and former Dundee captain was an interested spectator at training on Monday after a marathon trip from Scotland. The 32-year-old departed Glasgow on Saturday at 5.20pm and had stopovers in London and Singapore, before arriving in Sydney at 6am on Monday. After a trip up the MI, Shaughnessy met his new teammates at Maitland Sportsground and had a first look at them in action. However, the experienced centreback won't be involved in the Jets' Australia Cup clash against Adelaide United at the same venue on Wednesday night. His priority will be catching up on sleep and acclimatising. Jets coach Mark Milligan plans to take a cautious approach with Shaugnessy, who returned from a knee reconstruction in March. The hard-nosed centreback went on to play a key role for Dundee, making 11 appearances, to help The Dark Blues avoid relegation from the Scottish Premier League. Either Mark Natta or youth team defender Max Cooper is likely to partner Aleks Susnjar in the heart of defence against Adelaide. Natta, 22, welcomed Shaughnessy's arrival and is looking forward to learning from the Irishman. "A senior player, especiallly someone in your position, is someone to look up to for sure," Natta said. "He will have tips of the trade that I haven't quite developed yet." The Australia Cup round-of-32 battle is the first competitive match under new coach Mark Milligan. Adelaide also have a new boss in Airton Andrioli and boast a star-studded attack led by Socceroo Craig Goodwin and young guns Archie Goodwin and Luka Jovanovic. However, the former two are under injury clouds. "We don't know exactly how they are going to play," Natta said. "It's hard because they have a new coach, new players. Players have tendencies. You can look at individuals and see what strengths and weaknesses they have. "The preseason so far has been about us and how we can play our best brand of football." Shaughnessy is one of four major signings, alongside midfielders Max Burgess and Alex Badolato and keeper James Delianov. Burgess joined the Jets after four seasons at Sydney FC. "I have been blown away by how hard everyone works here and how together the group is," Burgess said. "It is really exciting to be a part of. "It has been a really productive couple of weeks with a couple of good hit outs [against St George and Edgeworth]. "The intensity has been really high. It has been really positive. "We want to be a ball-playing side. We want to play on the front foot. We want to control games. We want to set the tone on Wednesday and set a mark for what we want to be." The Jets, who beat St George (4-1) and Edgeworth (3-0), have an ordinary record in the Australia Cup. They went down 4-3 to Macarthur in the round of 16 last year and have only made the quarter-finals once, going down to Adelaide in 2019. "Everyone is excited to go out there on Wednesday night," Burgess said. "It is a competitive tournament. It can get you into Asia, it's silverware. "We want to be really competitive. We want to fight for things. It is game-by-game but we are looking at it as a massive opportunity for us as a club. We want to make a mark and set the tone on Wednesday for what we want to be moving forward." JOE Shaughnessy, a key piece to the Jets jigsaw puzzle, has touched down in Newcastle. The Irish defender and former Dundee captain was an interested spectator at training on Monday after a marathon trip from Scotland. The 32-year-old departed Glasgow on Saturday at 5.20pm and had stopovers in London and Singapore, before arriving in Sydney at 6am on Monday. After a trip up the MI, Shaughnessy met his new teammates at Maitland Sportsground and had a first look at them in action. However, the experienced centreback won't be involved in the Jets' Australia Cup clash against Adelaide United at the same venue on Wednesday night. His priority will be catching up on sleep and acclimatising. Jets coach Mark Milligan plans to take a cautious approach with Shaugnessy, who returned from a knee reconstruction in March. The hard-nosed centreback went on to play a key role for Dundee, making 11 appearances, to help The Dark Blues avoid relegation from the Scottish Premier League. Either Mark Natta or youth team defender Max Cooper is likely to partner Aleks Susnjar in the heart of defence against Adelaide. Natta, 22, welcomed Shaughnessy's arrival and is looking forward to learning from the Irishman. "A senior player, especiallly someone in your position, is someone to look up to for sure," Natta said. "He will have tips of the trade that I haven't quite developed yet." The Australia Cup round-of-32 battle is the first competitive match under new coach Mark Milligan. Adelaide also have a new boss in Airton Andrioli and boast a star-studded attack led by Socceroo Craig Goodwin and young guns Archie Goodwin and Luka Jovanovic. However, the former two are under injury clouds. "We don't know exactly how they are going to play," Natta said. "It's hard because they have a new coach, new players. Players have tendencies. You can look at individuals and see what strengths and weaknesses they have. "The preseason so far has been about us and how we can play our best brand of football." Shaughnessy is one of four major signings, alongside midfielders Max Burgess and Alex Badolato and keeper James Delianov. Burgess joined the Jets after four seasons at Sydney FC. "I have been blown away by how hard everyone works here and how together the group is," Burgess said. "It is really exciting to be a part of. "It has been a really productive couple of weeks with a couple of good hit outs [against St George and Edgeworth]. "The intensity has been really high. It has been really positive. "We want to be a ball-playing side. We want to play on the front foot. We want to control games. We want to set the tone on Wednesday and set a mark for what we want to be." The Jets, who beat St George (4-1) and Edgeworth (3-0), have an ordinary record in the Australia Cup. They went down 4-3 to Macarthur in the round of 16 last year and have only made the quarter-finals once, going down to Adelaide in 2019. "Everyone is excited to go out there on Wednesday night," Burgess said. "It is a competitive tournament. It can get you into Asia, it's silverware. "We want to be really competitive. We want to fight for things. It is game-by-game but we are looking at it as a massive opportunity for us as a club. We want to make a mark and set the tone on Wednesday for what we want to be moving forward." JOE Shaughnessy, a key piece to the Jets jigsaw puzzle, has touched down in Newcastle. The Irish defender and former Dundee captain was an interested spectator at training on Monday after a marathon trip from Scotland. The 32-year-old departed Glasgow on Saturday at 5.20pm and had stopovers in London and Singapore, before arriving in Sydney at 6am on Monday. After a trip up the MI, Shaughnessy met his new teammates at Maitland Sportsground and had a first look at them in action. However, the experienced centreback won't be involved in the Jets' Australia Cup clash against Adelaide United at the same venue on Wednesday night. His priority will be catching up on sleep and acclimatising. Jets coach Mark Milligan plans to take a cautious approach with Shaugnessy, who returned from a knee reconstruction in March. The hard-nosed centreback went on to play a key role for Dundee, making 11 appearances, to help The Dark Blues avoid relegation from the Scottish Premier League. Either Mark Natta or youth team defender Max Cooper is likely to partner Aleks Susnjar in the heart of defence against Adelaide. Natta, 22, welcomed Shaughnessy's arrival and is looking forward to learning from the Irishman. "A senior player, especiallly someone in your position, is someone to look up to for sure," Natta said. "He will have tips of the trade that I haven't quite developed yet." The Australia Cup round-of-32 battle is the first competitive match under new coach Mark Milligan. Adelaide also have a new boss in Airton Andrioli and boast a star-studded attack led by Socceroo Craig Goodwin and young guns Archie Goodwin and Luka Jovanovic. However, the former two are under injury clouds. "We don't know exactly how they are going to play," Natta said. "It's hard because they have a new coach, new players. Players have tendencies. You can look at individuals and see what strengths and weaknesses they have. "The preseason so far has been about us and how we can play our best brand of football." Shaughnessy is one of four major signings, alongside midfielders Max Burgess and Alex Badolato and keeper James Delianov. Burgess joined the Jets after four seasons at Sydney FC. "I have been blown away by how hard everyone works here and how together the group is," Burgess said. "It is really exciting to be a part of. "It has been a really productive couple of weeks with a couple of good hit outs [against St George and Edgeworth]. "The intensity has been really high. It has been really positive. "We want to be a ball-playing side. We want to play on the front foot. We want to control games. We want to set the tone on Wednesday and set a mark for what we want to be." The Jets, who beat St George (4-1) and Edgeworth (3-0), have an ordinary record in the Australia Cup. They went down 4-3 to Macarthur in the round of 16 last year and have only made the quarter-finals once, going down to Adelaide in 2019. "Everyone is excited to go out there on Wednesday night," Burgess said. "It is a competitive tournament. It can get you into Asia, it's silverware. "We want to be really competitive. We want to fight for things. It is game-by-game but we are looking at it as a massive opportunity for us as a club. We want to make a mark and set the tone on Wednesday for what we want to be moving forward." JOE Shaughnessy, a key piece to the Jets jigsaw puzzle, has touched down in Newcastle. The Irish defender and former Dundee captain was an interested spectator at training on Monday after a marathon trip from Scotland. The 32-year-old departed Glasgow on Saturday at 5.20pm and had stopovers in London and Singapore, before arriving in Sydney at 6am on Monday. After a trip up the MI, Shaughnessy met his new teammates at Maitland Sportsground and had a first look at them in action. However, the experienced centreback won't be involved in the Jets' Australia Cup clash against Adelaide United at the same venue on Wednesday night. His priority will be catching up on sleep and acclimatising. Jets coach Mark Milligan plans to take a cautious approach with Shaugnessy, who returned from a knee reconstruction in March. The hard-nosed centreback went on to play a key role for Dundee, making 11 appearances, to help The Dark Blues avoid relegation from the Scottish Premier League. Either Mark Natta or youth team defender Max Cooper is likely to partner Aleks Susnjar in the heart of defence against Adelaide. Natta, 22, welcomed Shaughnessy's arrival and is looking forward to learning from the Irishman. "A senior player, especiallly someone in your position, is someone to look up to for sure," Natta said. "He will have tips of the trade that I haven't quite developed yet." The Australia Cup round-of-32 battle is the first competitive match under new coach Mark Milligan. Adelaide also have a new boss in Airton Andrioli and boast a star-studded attack led by Socceroo Craig Goodwin and young guns Archie Goodwin and Luka Jovanovic. However, the former two are under injury clouds. "We don't know exactly how they are going to play," Natta said. "It's hard because they have a new coach, new players. Players have tendencies. You can look at individuals and see what strengths and weaknesses they have. "The preseason so far has been about us and how we can play our best brand of football." Shaughnessy is one of four major signings, alongside midfielders Max Burgess and Alex Badolato and keeper James Delianov. Burgess joined the Jets after four seasons at Sydney FC. "I have been blown away by how hard everyone works here and how together the group is," Burgess said. "It is really exciting to be a part of. "It has been a really productive couple of weeks with a couple of good hit outs [against St George and Edgeworth]. "The intensity has been really high. It has been really positive. "We want to be a ball-playing side. We want to play on the front foot. We want to control games. We want to set the tone on Wednesday and set a mark for what we want to be." The Jets, who beat St George (4-1) and Edgeworth (3-0), have an ordinary record in the Australia Cup. They went down 4-3 to Macarthur in the round of 16 last year and have only made the quarter-finals once, going down to Adelaide in 2019. "Everyone is excited to go out there on Wednesday night," Burgess said. "It is a competitive tournament. It can get you into Asia, it's silverware. "We want to be really competitive. We want to fight for things. It is game-by-game but we are looking at it as a massive opportunity for us as a club. We want to make a mark and set the tone on Wednesday for what we want to be moving forward."
Herald Sun
6 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Jockey Martin Harley keen to resume Cool Archie partnership
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. A rejuvenated Martin Harley is hoping that gun colt Cool Archie can put him on the map in the same way that mighty mare Winx defined the career of fellow jockey Hugh Bowman. Irish hoop Harley returned to Brisbane on Saturday night after a much-needed holiday back home where he celebrated his epic Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) victory on Cool Archie at Eagle Farm last month with family and friends. Of course, Harley doesn't expect the Chris and Corey Munce-trained colt to win a world-record 33 consecutive races like the legendary Winx, but he knows that a quality horse like Cool Archie comes along once in a blue moon. Winx had six different riders during her illustrious career that netted more than $26m in prizemoney before her retirement in April 2019, but she will forever be associated with Bowman and champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Harley's JJ Atkins victory – which broke a 10-year drought since his last Group 1 – was just reward for his hard work, dedication and persistence after overcoming a potentially career-threatening broken neck suffered in a sickening mid-week race fall in 2023. 'The real exciting thing about having a serious injury two years ago to even being not sure if I'd ride again and then for him to do what he did and put me back on the Group 1 map, in a way he certainly has changed my life in different avenues,' Harley said. 'A lot of jockeys can win if they get the right animal but when you stumble across a horse like that, it could be real life-changing moving forward. 'Look at the Winx story regarding Hugh Bowman. And I'm not saying it'll be like that but he could be an Everest horse and (owner) Max Whitby obviously has a slot. 'There could be serious potential going forward so I'll keep my fingers crossed and we'll take it from there. To live the dream like that would be unbelievable.' • Beriman's appeal for concussion protocols to be strengthened Whitby has declared that Cool Archie should be a shoo-in for Australian Two Year Old of the Year honours during a gala ceremony in Brisbane on August 31. 'I would definitely agree and not just because I've been riding him,' Harley said. 'For a horse to go from a maiden to a Group 1 winner in the space of two months - over all different distances and kinds of tracks - he has conquered more than any other two-year-old in Australia this year.' The father-and-son Munce partnership has said that Cool Archie would be spelled for the spring and set for next autumn's $4m Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick. It comes after a gruelling winter campaign in which the colt embarked on an incredible five-race winning streak in all conditions. Martin Harley steers Cool Archie home in the Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography • Rutledge's 'omen' win on The Irish written in the stars While Cool Archie is resting, a recharged Harley will be coming down from cloud nine to reset for the 2025-26 racing season in Brisbane which starts on Friday. Looking at the bigger picture, the affable Irishman hopes to travel interstate this spring carnival for a few feature races after proving he can handle the pressure of riding in majors. 'Sydney and Melbourne are tough, there are a lot of good jockeys there, but I'll be putting my hand up for a few rides down south if I can get them,' he said. 'You can get brought back to earth pretty quickly in this game but we showed them we can score at the top level and can get the job done in high-pressure races. 'But I'm definitely not getting too far ahead of myself. I had five Group 1 winners that came pretty quick and then it took another 10 years to crack it for my other one (in the JJ Atkins).' Jockey Martin Harley. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography • 'This isn't a novelty': Female hoops set up for success In the meantime, Harley can look back at that memorable day on June 14 when his dream of finally winning a Group 1 in Australia became reality. 'I went into the jockeys' room that day and I can honestly tell you, there wasn't one jockey who begrudged me the win,' he said. 'They were that happy for me and that made me even more proud.' Originally published as Rejuvenated Martin Harley hopes gun colt Cool Archie will define his career
Herald Sun
10 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Country footy: KDFNL game between Undera and Violet Town called off
Don't miss out on the headlines from Country Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News. A Victorian country footy game was forced to be abandoned on Saturday afternoon after a player suffered a suspected neck injury. The Kyabram District Football Netball League senior match between Undera and Violet Town was called off in the first quarter after a player from the home side landed awkwardly in a marking contest. Ambulance Victoria confirmed paramedics had attended Undera Recreation Reserve. 'A teenage male was treated by paramedics and transported to Goulburn Valley Hospital in a serious condition,' a statement provided to this masthead said. Undera was leading the game 4.4 (28) to 0.3 (3) when it was called off by officials. As per AFL rules, the two sides will now receive two points each as the game had been abandoned before halftime. Undera has been contacted for comment. Country Footy A Moe star will qualify for finals under Gippsland league rules on Saturday, but his flag dreams are still in the hands of AFL Victoria. See the latest. Country Footy Broadford has a coach for its Bendigo league debut next year and now attention has turned to what help it needs to be competitive.
