HIGH STAKES
Coast jockey sets sights on home glory
MICHAEL Cahill’s ride today on One Foot In Heaven is as interesting as any in his career.
The Gold Coast jockey will take to the saddle on the former French horse in the Group 2 A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at Aquis Park.
Cahill will lay eyes on the $21 chance – one of five runners in the race for trainer Chris Waller – for the first time at the track today.
Comin’ Through ($3) and Tom Melbourne ($5.50) are the stable’s more favoured runners but Cahill said One Foot In Heaven was an intriguing prospect after racing twice in the famous Group 1 L’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) in France in the past two years.
The six-year-old finished sixth in Europe’s most prestigious horse race in 2016 and 11th last year, with all six career wins coming in France.
“Not too many Arc runners have made their way to Australia and he raced at a high level in France,” Cahill said.
“It’s France’s equivalent to our Melbourne Cup.”
One Foot In Heaven ran sixth to Arbeitsam in the Group 3 Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 31 in his only Australian start.
“He didn’t set the world on fire in his first start here and he has drawn near the outside (barrier 12) for this race,” said Cahill, who is no stranger to success on this big day.
He won the 2016 Hollindale Stakes on Leebaz and claimed the Ken Russell Memorial Classic and Gold Coast Cup, formerly known as the Prime Minister’s Cup, over the years.
“It’s good to be able to ride at the Gold Coast,” the 53year-old Benowa resident said.
“I don’t have to travel and it’s been a good track to me. I have won most of the big ones here.”
Cahill is sixth in the Brisbane jockeys premiership with 34.5 wins and is hoping to mirror his late charge last season when he won the Ipswich Cup, Queensland Cup and WJ Healy Stakes in the final months.
“I had a good run last year and you are always hoping this time of year to get on horses that are going to be competitive in those feature races,” Cahill said.