THE BOSTONIAN KEEPS HIS PERFECT QUEENSLAND RECORD INTACT. HE IS NOW FOUR FROM FOUR

By Graham Potter with Michael Cahill | Monday, May 13, 2019

If you hadn’t noticed, Michael Cahill has been riding in fine form in recent times but his win on Saturday on The Bostonian in the Doomben 10 000 took his current run of success to a higher level as it rubber-stamped another career highlight on an already impressive race riding record. Here Michael Cahill, in conversation with HRO’s Graham Potter, talks us through the background to the race and then describes the race itself which put him back in the Group 1 spotlight.

“My last Group 1 win before Saturday was in 2009 when I rode Russeting in the race that is now the Tatts Tiara for the late Bart Cummings,” said Cahill. “I have won some good races in-between, such as the Magic Millions in 2013, but Russeting was the last Group 1.

“I rode The Bostonian in work on Tuesday morning and he worked very well. He was very sharp. Tony (Pike) was here and that is when he decided to run him in the Doomben 10 000. It was a bit up in the air before that piece of work because he had a race for him this coming Saturday but he thought the Doomben 10 000 would fit into his program better.

“Even when we drew a good gate (barrier 3) when didn’t really ever expect him to match strides with Osborne Bulls and Nature Strip at weight-for-age, but we were hoping he would run well to give an indication that he would be a good chance in the Stradbroke … which is what he is here for.

“Anyway … he came out and won.

“He had a good run. He travelled very strongly in the race. I was waiting for him to possibly feel the pinch a bit coming to the turn but, if anything, he was getting stronger.

“From there I knew I had plenty of horse underneath me. I could sense a run coming to my inside. I just had to be a little bit patient and wait for a few strides more. When he did get that opening, he was very strong.

“He was still building momentum at the line. I know Osborne Bulls was coming quick but The Bostonian was still building momentum of his own. It was an outstanding run.

“Yes, I have got the ride for the Stradbroke. I was booked to ride him for the winter. I had good success on him last winter and then went over and rode him in New Zealand in a Group 1 back in February and I was always going to be his rider.

“The connections … David Archer and his family … have been good, so he was always going to be my ride.
“It was just great that he could start off with a Group 1 win.

“I did win the Doomben 10 000 before on Falvelon back in 2001. That a bit different. He was the favourite. There was a lot of hype in the build-up about him.

“He was expected to run well … which he did, whereas this horse (The Bostonian) was a bit under the radar with the focus on other runners,” concluded Cahill.

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Another fact that has flown under the radar is that The Bostonian / Michael Cahill combination is unbeaten in Queensland with a perfect four from four record.

In June 10, 2018, The Bostonian scored a first-up win at Caloundra (his first run in seven months) when taking out the Listed Daybreak Lover over 1200m at a starting price of $11 when getting the better of runners from some heavy hitting stables such as Waterhouse and Bott, James Cummings and Mick Price.

He then made it a double by winning the Singapore Airlines Plate over 1350m at Doomben on June 23, this time as a 5-2 favourite. The first of these two wins came on heavy going. The second was on good going underlining the gelding’s versatility track rating-wise.

And so it was that when The Bostonian went out to attempt to complete the hat trick of wins the heavy track presented for the Group 3 Sunshine Coast Guineas over 1600m on June 30 didn’t trouble him at all and he duly got the job done to take his career record at the time to six wins from nine starts, a credit to trainer Tony Pike’s management and placement of his runner.

Ten-and-a-half months later The Bostonian was back on his happy hunting ground. Under the radar … not for long, but just long enough to snare the Doomben 10 000 at the juicy odds of $40.

*The Group 1 race which Michael Cahill referred to in which he rode The Bostonian in New Zealand was the Haunui Farm Group 1 over 1600m in which The Bostonian finished a game fourth behind the short-priced favourite Melody Belle over 1600m. Melody Belle is an eleven-time winner from twenty starts. That start, on February 23, was The Bostonian’s last run before him Doomben 10 000 engagement.

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