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Messignadi has maiden the leap from a Mildura maiden win to success at Sanodwn

The decision to scratch from a race at the three-day Swan Hill Carnival for a midweek metropolitan race at Sandown has proven a windfall for the connections of Messignadi. 

Bypassing Saturday's race at Swan Hill in favour of the Tile Importer Handicap (1300m) at Sandown saw the filly collect an extra $15,400 in prize money. 

And as an added bonus there was $10,500 in Super VOBIS money also paid out to connections. 

A debut winner at Mildura last month, trainer Austy Coffey only scratched Messignadi from his hometown carnival, where she was to race against older mares, because of a wide draw. 

Well-handled by Harry Coffey, the son of the trainer, Messignadi ($19) raced to a short-neck victory over Whatafox ($2.70) with Crazy Ladies ($10) three-quarters-of-a-length away third. 

Messignadi's victory denied Jamie Kah a race-to-race double having scored earlier on Token Spirit. 

"She's done a great job and she keeps surprising me," Coffey senior said. 

"Every now and then you see a horse that improves a fair way in a short time and I had a bit of a feeling. 

"Harry came in on Monday morning after our busy carnival weekend at home and he worked her with an unraced horse and they came up the straight and they worked very well for a couple of long horses. 

"I kept feeling her shins and looking for an excuse not to come, but I couldn't come up with one and she's come through and won." 

The younger Coffey said the drive home to Swan Hill, more than four hours, would be an enjoyable one for a change. 

"We didn't know what to make of coming here today," he said. 

"Dad wasn't at all confident, but we had a throw at the stumps and I'm rapt we came. 

"We bring horses here to Sandown and it's always a long drive home, but today it won't be. 

"I think the race day experience, although it's a long way up in grade from Mildura to Sandown, it definitely helped her."