It was going to be an uncomplicated ride for Michael Cahill when he bounced out of the gates on $2.60 favourite Why We Drink in the opening race at the Sunny Coast meeting on Friday night. The accomplished horseman was routinely easing into a trailing position behind two leaders when the pace slowed suddenly. He was vaulted from the saddle when Why We Drink clipped the heels of Caribbean King and blundered badly.
Michael made a couple of attempts to regain his seat but the momentum sent him sliding off the near side of the horse. Initially he felt he might escape with an easy tumble but a change in trajectory saw him land on the base of his neck with some impact to his left shoulder. His frustration diminished slightly a few hours later when doctors at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital gave him some encouraging news. “They diagnosed a stable fracture of the C4 vertebra which they expect to heal in six weeks with the aid of a neck brace,” said Michael. “I also fractured my left scapula (shoulder blade) which should repair in around the same time.”
In an era when veteran jockeys are gaining a whole new level of respect from owners and trainers, Michael Cahill has been inspired to attempt one final career goal. He hopes to ride at his current level of form until he attains 60 years of age in January 2025. Queensland owners and trainers pay little attention to his birth date. He was booked for another four rides after his tumble on Friday night. He had to be replaced on six horses at Doomben on Saturday and six more at the Sunny Coast on Sunday. The fact is he’s still doing the job with his trademark style, flair and judgement.
The ace jockey has ridden an amazing 2600 winners in more than 4 decades in the saddle - courtesy Trackside Photography.
The talented horseman is philosophical about yet another injury enforced layoff. If there’s one element of the fall getting up his nose it’s the fact that he’s now had four “busters” on a racetrack rated as one of the safest and roomiest in Australia. “I’ve ridden around some pretty crude tracks in my forty two year career with no mishaps,” said the ace jockey. “I can’t believe I’ve bitten the dust so many times on this magnificent racecourse.”
One of his Sunshine Coast accidents was the worst of his career, and it happened not long after he’d forged a partnership with the brilliant sprinter Falvelon. Michael had won the Gr 2 Carlton Cup on the stallion before finishing third in the Doomben $10,000 and a close up fifth in the Stradbroke. The fickle nature of lady luck was never more evident than it was only weeks later when he rode the first winner at a Sunshine Coast meeting before crashing in the second race. He woke up twenty four hours later in a Brisbane hospital with multiple injuries and a bleed to the brain. Perhaps it’s a good thing he remembers nothing about that accident.
Born and reared in the central western town of Cowra, Michael was apprenticed to his late father Ossie who’d been a successful bush jockey before turning his hand to training. His younger brother Matthew followed in his footsteps and continues to ride regular winners on NSW provincial and country tracks. Matthew has declined several offers to base himself in Sydney over the years. He endures endless travelling to ride at western and Riverina meetings for a wide range of trainers.
Michael and Matthew’s only sister Kathryn acquired a trainer’s licence on the passing of her father in 2009 and has enjoyed modest success with a limited number of runners. You’ll be hard pressed to find a more dedicated Sky Racing viewer than Margaret Cahill. She rarely misses a race in which Michael and Matthew are riding, or a runner trained by her daughter. The Cahill brothers have never forgotten the devotion of their amazing mother who drove them all over the state during their days as apprentices.
Michael has indelible memories of the day in 1980 when the imported stallion Beldale Ball gave master trainer Colin Hayes his first Melbourne Cup win. Neither Hayes nor jockey John Letts were any more excited than fifteen year old apprentice Michael Cahill who on the same day, won his very first race on Lady Swan at the faraway Orange meeting in NSW.
Almost 4 decades after his first win at Orange Michael was booting home Gr. 1 winners like The Bostonian in the 2019 Doomben $10,000 - courtesy Trackside Photography.
The Cowra youngster created a huge impression over the next eighteen months and it wasn’t long before he was making regular appearances on metropolitan tracks. Shortly after turning seventeen he agreed to a three month “loan out” to top trainer Neville Begg at Randwick. He was treated like family and given some wonderful opportunities, but the ravages of homesickness soon set in. “The Beggs treated me like family and I was given some wonderful opportunities,” said Michael. “I also received tuition from jockeys like Ron Quinton, Wayne Harris and Kevin Moses. Looking back now I can see what an incredible experience it was for a country kid.”
In the late 1980’s TV icon Mike Willesee embarked on the extensive redevelopment of his Transmedia Park Stud at Cootamundra. The refurbishment included the installation of two state of the art training tracks where his race horses were pre trained before joining top Sydney stables. Those who failed to measure up were returned to Cootamundra to be tried on the country circuit by long time employee Garry Kirkup.
Garry’s search for a full time work and race rider led him to Michael Cahill who was riding country winners at an impressive rate. The jockey accepted an offer to actually live on the property, and thoroughly enjoyed his two and a half years under the Transmedia banner. With stallions like Sir Dapper, Rubiton, Sovereign Red and Snippets standing on the property there was no shortage of well bred horses coming through the system. Almost certainly the nicest horse he got to ride in the Willesee colours was Ice Cream Sundae. Michael won seven races on the daughter of Sovereign Red, including two in the city.
Michael won 7 races on the Willesee owned Ice Cream Sundae including this one at Warwick Farm in 1990 - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
As much as he enjoyed the Transmedia experience, Michael was unable to resist an offer to become stable jockey for legendary southern districts trainer Richard Freyer. His decision to accept the role proved to be a judicious one. He and the sixteen time premiership winning trainer combined to win around seventy races over the next eighteen months.
In 1994 Michael was offered rides by trainers Jack Gallagher and Eric Sandford at the Grafton and Coffs Harbour carnivals. Not only did he ride several winners during the course of both meetings, but he enjoyed the mild winter climate on the NSW north coast - a pleasant change for a jockey who’d spent many winters in places like Cowra, Cootamundra and Corowa. A few weeks later he won races on the Sandford horses at Gold Coast meetings. The further north Michael ventured the more he liked it.
The talented jockey was almost thirty when he made the life changing decision to relocate to the Gold Coast. The move was prompted by an offer from Bruce McLachlan to ride trackwork one morning a week at his famous Thornhill Park training centre at Caboolture. Michael devised a plan whereby he would commute to the McLachlan property on Monday mornings and ride work for Gold Coast trainers Tuesday to Saturday. An offer of support came from former Wagga jockey Barry Bowditch who had commenced his training career on the coast.
The move coincided with Michael’s marriage to Maxine Harris, a former riding instructor who found the Queensland climate very much to her liking after having spent her early years in England. Although a horse lover, Maxine was new to the racing game. She quickly learned the ropes and to this day closely monitors Michael’s rides on the Sky Channel service. The Cahills are the proud parents of Amelia (17) and Harry (12). “At this stage neither shows the slightest interest in racing,” says Michael. “Amelia has just started her first job in a seafood restaurant, while Harry’s main interests are motor bikes and computer games. Who knows what the future holds.”
In 1997 the outstanding horseman Gerald Ryan set up as a trainer on the Gold Coast and wasted no time in appointing Michael Cahill as his stable jockey. “Gerald gave my career a tremendous boost,” said the jockey. “He’s a brilliant trainer who places his horses beautifully, and I haven’t ridden for a better judge. We won a lot of races together.”
Michael had a great run with Gerald Ryan during the trainer's Gold Coast stint. This time they sent Our Sweet Moss to Sydney to win The Nivison at Randwick - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
1998 brought the first of several overseas stints for the popular jockey. He had a successful stay in Singapore and enjoyed the opportunity to ride against several outstanding visiting jockeys including New Zealand stars Opie Bosson and Greg Childs. In 2002 he landed a short term contract with the Hong Kong Jockey Club which came at a time when he held an unassailable lead in the Brisbane jockey’s premiership. “It was tough to walk away from what was potentially my first Brisbane premiership, but that’s the way it worked out,” he said.
Michael got away to a flying start with a winner at his very first ride on a smart two year old called Able Choice for John Moore. He went on to win three straight on the Dehere gelding. “For some reason my weight became very unstable in Hong Kong and I missed rides as a result,” said Michael. “Things got tougher but I was able to win a number of races thanks to support from John Moore and trainers like Alex Wong, Manfred Man and John Size.”
Out of the blue came the offer of a club contract with the Macau Jockey Club in the pre casino days when the sport was thriving in the colony. “There were some top trainers in Macau at the time who gave me amazing support,” recalled Michael. “Thanks to Mick Kent, Barry Baldwin, Russell Cameron and Gary Moore I had an enormous season. I actually won the premiership with 112 wins which included the Macau Derby.” It took Michael nine years to finally win a Brisbane jockey’s premiership but he was in the top three a number of times. In one season he was only a handful of wins behind the late Tim Bell.
Michael had a stellar season in Macau in 2003/04 winning the jockey's premiership with 112 winners. Here he is on the presentation dais with fellow Queenslander Barry Baldwin.
In the 2011/2012 season Michael joined the long list of Australian jockeys to enjoy a season in Mauritius. “I rode a number of winners on that tight little track where you need to have your wits about you,” he said. “The competition is fierce and it’s a pretty demanding place for a jockey.”
As his 57th birthday draws near, Michael can look back on a career which has brought him a stunning tally of 2600 wins. Apart from his Macau Derby success, the brilliant jockey has won the Doomben $10,000 on two occasions (Falvelon and The Bostonian), a Kingsford Smith Cup (The Bostonian), The Winter Stakes now known as the Tatt’s Tiara (Russeting) and a Stradbroke Hcp (St. Basil). His Magic Millions success on Real Surreal didn’t carry Gr 1 status, but was a special win for a Gold Coast based jockey.
Other feature wins include the Gai Waterhouse Classic four times, the Caloundra Cup twice, the Glasshouse twice, the W.J. Healy Stakes three times, a Toowoomba Cup, Ipswich Cup, Eyeliner Stakes, Doomben Roses, Liverpool City Cup, Hollindale Stakes, Ramornie Hcp, Grafton Cup, Dane Ripper Quality, and The Nivison at Randwick.
Michael had a lot of time for the Doug Harrison trained Natural Blitz in the mid 2000’s. He won the P.J. O’Shea Stakes on the gelding, ran third in a Doomben Cup and a close fourth just over a length from Railings in the 2005 Caulfield Cup. He still fondly remembers a trip to Sydney in 2000 with the smart Queensland two year old Great Crusader who stamped his Slipper claims with a brilliant win in the Todman Stakes. “The wide gate cost him dearly in Belle Du Jour’s Golden Sipper, but he ran a hell of a race to finish sixth only three lengths from the winner,” recalls Michael. “My heart was racing at the 200m when he headed the leader King Of Danes but he’d simply done too much early work.”
Michael Cahill’s innate talent is matched only by his steely determination. When he sets his sights on a realistic goal he’s like a dog with an old boot. It takes a pretty decent distraction to get him to let go. To ride in races until age 60 will command his total focus for the next three years. Anybody who thinks he’s set himself too high a goal would be well advised to think again. Trainers should be lining up to give him a decent ride on his birthday in 2025. If that’s not the case he might do something completely out of character and poach a ride off one of his many friends in the Brisbane jockey’s room.
Michael made the right move when he relocated to the Gold Coast. He's been a favourite with Queensland trainers ever since - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Michael returns to scale on The Bostonian after a Doomben $10,000 win in 2019 - his second win in the famous sprint - courtesy Trackside Photography.)