Last Saturday’s Townsville Cup winner, Warp Speed, will attempt to make it back-to-back Cup wins in a seven-day turnaround when he tackles the Mackay Cup on Saturday.
In the Mackey Cup, the Mark Goodwin trained eight-year-old will have to give significant weight advantage to all of his rivals (between 4kg and 8kg) and he will have to cope with a tricky draw. He will also be racing at the track for the first time … but, then again, he faced virtually all of these same supposed disadvantages last week … and overcame them in style to win the Townsville Cup by 1.50 lengths.
Jockey Michael Cahill, who partnered Warp Speed to victory in the Townsville Cup and who will again be in the saddle this Saturday, has built up both a solid rapport and race record with the son of Star witness.
Cahill’s first ride on Warp Speed, back on February 8, 2023, was a winning one (and Warp Speed’s first win for Goodwin, who is actually the fifth trainer to have Warp Speed in his care).
Since that first win, Cahill has ridden Warp Speed on a further ten occasions and the pair’s record together stands at an impressive four wins, one second place, two thirds and two fourths from their eleven starts together.
“He has suited my style of riding,” acknowledged Cahill, “because I’m usually a bit conservative and I don’t like to go too early on them.
“He does switch off nicely and the longer you can wait on him the more effective his finish is, but sometimes you don’t get that opportunity through circumstances. In the Ipswich Cup I had to go sooner than I wanted … and even the other day at Townsville, he probably got there a little bit sooner than was ideal, but he was still good enough to win.
“Having said that, he is a pretty adaptable horse,” added Cahill. “He does excel on firm ground and that is why I was reasonably confident that Townsville was going to suit him because it has a similar profile to Eagle Farm (where Cahill has won on Warp Speed three times), but I wouldn’t expect Mackay to be as firm.
“He is as effective on soft ground too as he showed when he ran third in the Caloundra Cup. If you had to choose between the two, I’d think he like firmer the better.
“It is good riding for Mark. He is every bit as good a person as he is a racehorse trainer.
“If he gets the right horse, he will get the results … as he has showed, excelling with this horse. To have him travel that distance (to Townsville) and have him perform at his peak is no mean feat.
“He understands the game and you know his horses are going to be fit and well on the day.
“Like Warp Speed. I think he will run well,” concluded Cahill.
