The $150,000 Coffs Harbour Cup, a 1600m contest which comes with Big Dance Eligibility for the first two runners past the post, was won in comfortable fashion by the Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Mighty Ulysses with the Kris Lees trained Loch Eagle finishing best of the rest to claim that valuable second place.
Mighty Ulysses, a $9 chance who was ridden by Heavelon Van Der Hoven, pushed forward early from a number eleven barrier draw to the degree that the eight-year-old found the lead with just under 1000m left to run, a lead he would never relinquish as he dictated the course of events from the front.
Mighty Ulysses brought a bunching field to the home turn where he continued to save ground with a rails run … and when he kicked early in the straight, he quickly gained a march on the shorter priced fancies who were making their runs from further back and wider out on the track. Those comparing the best betting apps Australia would have seen the winner start at attractive odds.
The lead was three lengths when two of the three main fancies … Perfect Justice (the $3 favourite) and Time Quest ($4.20) started to quicken as if they might come into contention … and Loch Eagle ($13) was also prominent in the leading line of the chasing runners, but it soon became clear that Van der Hoven had played a smart, winning hand as Mighty Ulysses sustained his run to go to the line, untroubled, to win by 2.49 lengths.
In the end, Loch Eagle, Prefect Justice and Time Quest were left to sort out the minor placings which they did in a very competitive fashion as they finished in the order mentioned with only 0.64 lengths between them at the line.
The second favourite Hollywood Hero raced in last place early and could do no better than fill fifth place, 5.46 lengths behind the winner.
