FROM MY PERSPECTIVE - A TIME WHEN TRAINERS FIND OUR MORE ABOUT THEIR CARNIVAL CONTENDERS

By Michael Cahill | Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Five-time Group 1 winning jockey Michael Cahill is the latest addition to the HRO blogging stable. Apart from Australia, Michael has ridden in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, South Korea and Mauritius. He brings thirty-three years of race riding experience to the game and with this greater all-around experience Michael is superbly qualified to give insightful commentary on the racing scene. Michael’s personal blog, ‘From my perspective’ will appear every Wednesday on HRO.

It’s coming to that time of year where trainers find out what they really have to work with in terms of Winter Carnival contenders.

There will always be the obvious stand-outs but there is also plenty of focus on in-form horses who are making progress at the right time. All three of my winners on Saturday might be worth a second glance in this regard.

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Transporter became a Listed race winner when he completed a double on Saturday.

He was more dour this time than he was in the start before. He is better on a firm surface. He was not entirely at home in Saturday’s conditions. He does get through a slow track obviously, but he is not as comfortable on that surface compared to a firm track.

He is a promising horse. He won four in a row last time in. He was just nosed out in the final run of that campaign.

He’s come back, taken a couple of runs to settle in and now he has won his last two.

I think the key to him going on is striking his preferred ground. Getting that, he will always be a chance in Listed races.

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Epic is another who made it two wins in a row.

While Saturday’s win was in a Class 6 Handicap he is a horse with plenty of ability. He has been competitive throughout this preparation and he has come to the fore in his last two runs.

He is a pretty adaptable horse which is a big plus in terms of the fact that it opens up his options.

He is better on firmer ground, but he can get through the soft. He is versatile in the way you can ride him. He probably better ridden quiet as he was on Saturday but, if there’s not much speed and circumstances allow, he can race closer.

He really does like it if he is allowed to get back and charge home but barriers and tempo basically dictate where he will settle in any particular race.

Kelly Schweida holds the horse in high regard and, the way it is going, there could well be something for him to tackle in the carnival.

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My third winner, Alcancia also won well. That win continued the good run of results being achieved by Barry Lockwood since he relocated up here.

There always talk around about the grass being greener down south and trainers possibly looking in that direction so it is really encouraging for Brisbane to get a trainer of the calibre of Barry.

He is a very good trainer. He knows his horses. He does a splendid job. He produced Alcancia right on song on Saturday, as he has done with so many of his runners in recent months.

I was pretty confident on her at the top of the straight. I knew she was going to take a little while to get there but I was always felt like she was going to get there so I just let her build her own momentum and she did it comfortably in the end.

I don’t want to jinx myself, but I’ve had three rides for Barry now for three wins. I won on Cover Up at Ipswich. I won on Brookton Flare at the Weetwood meeting and then I won for Barry on Alcancia on Saturday.

I might get another ride from him.

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The star of Saturday’s meeting though was undoubtedly Better Than Ready, another Kelly Schweida trained horse.

I was on Seeking Home in that race. My horse raced below his best on the day. I’m not suggesting he could have matched Better Than Ready, but he certainly didn’t feel to be at his best.

Seeking Home did duck out abruptly in the straight, but he was already beaten at that stage.

Better Than Ready is a very smart horse. Some are already touting him as a Stradbroke prospect.

While I don’t disagree with that possibility I do think … in general terms … we sometimes get ahead of ourselves with our praise of young horses on the move and that can sometimes create unrealistic expectations and unnecessary pressure.

That said, there can be no argument … Better Than Ready is a very promising horse!

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Racing is a game of inches and, for all the success you might enjoy, a downside can be just a stride away and every now and again you get a reminder of that fact.

My latest reminder came in the first race at Caloundra on Sunday.

I was coming into the race nicely aboard Rock Hunter but I didn’t have anywhere to go. The leader rolled away from the rail just about half a horse. Justin Stanley had hit the horse with the right hand and he was just about to hit it again … and in that moment I anticipated that the run had come for me.

I put my horse in a position so that if the run did present itself I was there to take advantage of it but it didn’t happen.

The other horse, if anything, came in a touch. My horse hit the rail. We lost ground. It was my fault.

Unfortunately for me, while I did come out unscathed physically, I didn’t escape the attention of the stewards who found me guilty on a charge of careless riding.
That means I am now suspended (for six meetings) until midnight on May 1.

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The action on the track suffered a huge blow this week when both Black Caviar and Pierro were retired to stud.

That blow was obviously tempered by all the good these horses achieved for racing while they held centre stage and racing owes them a strong debt of gratitude, particularly to Black Caviar.

I never thought I would see the day where a horse remained unbeaten in twenty-five starts in top company, breaking all kinds of record along the way … and, of course, Pierro has been a champion three-year-old.

They will not be easy to replace.

As we all know, we will mark time for a while and then another top horse will emerge to capture our imagination.

Some horse always does … but the next star performer will most likely falling short of the level established by Black Caviar.

She is a different class again and she has raised the bar to dizzy heights in a remarkable climb which took her to the pinnacle of her profession, setting a new standard on which we will judge all who come after her.

Till next week,

Michael

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