Scoring Up

August 30-2026

Almost five decades of passion, knowledge and dedication to the standardbred breeding industry have been recognised with John Coffey’s induction into the Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame.

A former President of the Australian Standardbred Breeders Association (ASBA) and Harness Breeders Victoria, Coffey has long been regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and respected breeding figures in Australian harness racing.

Originally from Perth, Coffey’s involvement in breeding was influenced by the late Chris Hodgson and Roy Annear, who encouraged him to turn his attention away from punting and instead invest his time and money into breeding horses.

It proved to be sound advice and led to Coffey joining the Western Australian Breeders’ Association, beginning an involvement with the breeding industry that has now stretched across 50-plus years.

In the late 1970s, Coffey turned his hobby and passion into a career, leaving his full time job to take up a position with Dalgety Elders Bloodstock.

He later established his own breeding operation, Patrician Park, starting with stallions Crouch and Mystical Prince and a foundation band of just five mares, which he sourced through newspaper advertisements.

It wasn’t long before the winners began to flow.

A major turning point came in 1986 when Coffey accepted a position with Alabar Farms in Victoria, putting him at the forefront of one of Australia’s leading standardbred breeding operations.

The role also took him to North America in search of potential stallions, allowing him to build an extensive international network of contacts and further develop the breeding knowledge for which he would become renowned.

His eye for a horse and understanding of pedigrees later proved invaluable to Australian Pacing Gold, while his expertise was shared with breeders around the country through a series of breeding seminars.

Coffey has also made an enormous contribution to the industry away from the commercial side of breeding.

He has served as President of the Australian Standardbred Breeders Association, as well as holding senior roles within Victorian breeding organisations. More recently, he served as President of Harness Breeders Victoria, continuing his long-standing commitment to representing and promoting the interests of breeders.

In 2020, Coffey became a bloodstock consultant for Northern Rivers Equine, before adding another chapter to his career in 2023 when he was appointed breeding and sales consultant for Nutrien Equine.

Even after almost half a century in the industry, Coffey’s enthusiasm for breeding and developing new opportunities remains as strong as ever.

He is currently working alongside South Australian Lance Holberton on plans for a new yearling sale-race concept in 2027, aimed specifically at progeny of colonial-bred stallions.

It is another example of Coffey’s determination to promote Australian breeding and provide opportunities for locally based stallions and their progeny.

Coffey was joined among the latest Victorian Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees by highly successful trainer Andy Gath and the training partnership of Jayne Davies and Noel Alexander.

For John Coffey, the honour represents fitting recognition of a lifetime spent studying pedigrees, promoting breeding and, importantly, championing the interests of Australian standardbred breeders.