It was only a BM 72 for fillies and mares on the Kenso track at 6.30pm last Friday night, but for Paul and Martha Cave the race could have carried black type status. The training duo have special affection for Bowery Breeze, a chestnut daughter of Excelebration who was born on their Mulgoa property in 2016. More to the point Paul and Martha were slightly concerned that they were deviating from normal practice in backing the mare up so quickly. Only once in forty five previous starts had she raced twice in one week.
Just six days earlier Bowery Breeze had come from near last to beat all but the placegetters in the Midway on Gong day at Kembla Grange. The Caves knew the Kensington race was an ideal assignment, and the promise of rain in Sydney through the week got them thinking. All of Bowery Breeze’s six wins had been on rain affected tracks, two of them on Heavy 8 surfaces. The decision was made to run her again when she showed absolutely no ill effect from the Kembla outing.
In form jockey Jason Collett quickly had Bowery Breeze into the box seat behind favourite Venetian Blue and Miss Faberge with Pink Baroque also handily placed. There were a few anxious moments when Pink Baroque’s rider tried to hold Bowery Breeze in the pocket, but an unexpected opening changed the complexion of the race. As Miss Faberge ducked out at the 100m, Bowery Breeze aimed for the gap, and knuckled down to the task as she invariably does. She was going far the better in the closing stages to take her record to 46 starts for 7 wins, 11 placings and a tidy prize money tally of $432,000.
The no nonsense mare gets the better of Miss Faberge near the line in the Toyota Forklifts Hcp - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“We realise she’s not Winx, but her will to win makes her pretty special,” said Martha Cave on Sunday morning. “From day one she’s been a trier. She loves what she does and really wants to be there. It’s been a delight to race such a nice little mare with Paul’s great friend and supporter Rob Thomas, Samantha Meers and Rob’s son Andrew. We’ve had a few stops and starts with niggling issues along the way but it’s just a matter of managing her carefully. There’s little doubt she’s better with the sting out of the ground which was the primary reason we decided to back her up on Friday.”
Paul Cave has had a long association with the family of Bowery Breeze. He won a city race with her great grand dam Opera Weekend in the mid 90’s and was twice successful at Rosehill with her grand dam Golden Weekend twenty years ago. He tried everything possible to make a racehorse of her quirky dam Manhattan Tempest, but threw in the towel when the mare became a barrier rogue. “Even now she’s hard to handle in a confined space,” says Martha Cave. “Being a broodmare is her greatest talent. Her first foal Tempestas broke down earlier this year after an impressive maiden win at Kembla. We have a three year old So You Think filly who’s yet to race, a two year old Magna Grecia filly and a yearling filly by Yes Yes Yes. For some unaccountable reason she only has fillies. She’s now in foal to Coolmore stallion Acrobat.”
Paul and Martha share the winner's sash after Bowery Breeze's win - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
A quick chat with Jason Collett after Bowery Breeze's win - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Life took a bizarre turn for the Caves early in 2021 when Paul suffered a major health setback. His lengthy battle with heart arrhythmia was followed by three strokes necessitating five weeks of hospitalisation and extensive rehabilitation. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Paul’s illness coincided with Martha’s recovery from a badly broken leg sustained in a freakish horse float accident. Somehow they got through a very difficult period, after which a few changes were made to allow Paul a less stressful lifestyle.
The Caves rarely have more than ten or twelve horses in work. Those horses are housed at Curragh Lodge, Paul’s longtime stabling complex at Warwick Farm which is expertly managed by valued friend Bec Haill. “Bec’s contribution to our operation is immeasurable,” said Martha. “She rides fast work, has a tremendous affinity with horses and her training as a veterinary nurse gives her a great insight into all the problems that can arise in a racing stable. I spend a lot of time with Bec at Curragh Lodge while my other principal job nowadays is to get stable runners to the races.
“This enables Paul to stay on the property where he looks after the spellers and pre-trainers. He’s always enjoyed riding in some capacity and can still be found on his trusted pony riding out with the pre-trainers most days. He rarely goes to the races these days but made an exception on Friday. He loves that little mare Bowery Breeze and made a point of getting there to cheer her home in a very late race.”
Many people gave Paul Cave a passing thought on Saturday when the eleven runners bounded out of the gates in the listed Christmas Cup. There was a time the affable Irishman made this race his own. He felt obliged to have a runner in the race each year, and punters at worst would have a “saver” bet on the Curragh Lodge flagbearer. His first Christmas Cup win came as far back as 1981 with Prince Weyand, but his second was a long time coming. The bonny staying mare Lahar got him back on the board in 1998 followed a year later by Pasta Express. Then came Airlie Bird in 2002, Sadarar in 2003 and Taken At The Flood in 2006.
Hugh Bowman and Taken At The Flood gave Paul Cave his 6th Christmas Cup win in 2006 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The seventy four year old native of County Cork in Ireland has long held the reputation as a master trainer of stayers. Whenever a new horse has entered his stables over the years, Paul has always hoped the animal in question boasted a staying pedigree. He’s the first to tell you his image as a trainer of stayers has probably hindered his prospects of attracting new owners. Long term patrons on the other hand testify to his training technique, infinite patience and skills inherited from an early grounding in Flat and National Hunt Racing in his home country.
Of all the talented horses Paul has developed over the years, his surprise all time favourite is Mingling Glances who put together a brilliant sequence of four wins in the spring of 1993, the last three in black type races at Caulfield, Moonee Valley and Flemington. The Yeats mare was raced in Japanese interests, and her success led Paul to an association with Mr. T. Namba and the Australian Bloodhorse Club of Tokyo. Paul also enjoyed success for the syndicate with Seto Bridge whose five wins included a Gr 2 Newcastle Cup, and a Gr 2 SA St. Leger. Seto Flowerian later carried the syndicate colours to victory in a Gr 3 Adrian Knox Stakes before finishing second in the AJC Oaks to Alcove.
The gallant mare Lahar was another to thrive under the Cave technique. The best she could manage at black type level was a Christmas Cup win, but her Gr 1 performances were both thrilling and frustrating - third in a Sydney Cup, second in a Doomben Cup, fourth in a Brisbane Cup and a dead heat for third in the 1999 Melbourne Cup won by Rogan Josh. Paul got the Zabeel gelding Respect to win twice at 3200m - the 2006 Queensland Cup with the late Stathi Katsidis in the saddle and the 2007 Perth Cup with Jason Whiting on board.
Paul with trademark stetson at Rosehill in 2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
One of the trainer’s favourites was the pony sized Pasta Express who won nine races including two Gr 2’s and a listed race. Another twelve placings nudged his stake earnings to almost $660,000 - an amazing figure when you consider he finished racing in 2001. The lanky Irishman won a Gr 2 Queensland Grand Prix with Conair, and a Gr 3 Kingston Town Stakes with a maiden performer called Greenmailer.
In the mid 2000’s he produced a nice horse called The Free Stater who raced only seventeen times before going amiss, but not before winning a Hawkesbury Guineas, the Gr 3 Frederick Clissold and the Gr 3 Liverpool City Cup. Paul proved he wasn’t just a trainer of long distance horses when he won a Gr 3 Missile Stakes and a Gr 2 Premiere Stakes with German Chocolate in 2007. He isn’t short of racing memories as he rides that painted pony alongside his pre-trainers on the Mulgoa property. Paul was a late starter in the fatherhood stakes. He and Martha are justifiably proud of sixteen year old Toller whose affinity with horses is already showing through. In settling on his first job, young Cave elected to join the staff at the Fernhill Equestrian Centre. The historic property is only a stone’s throw from his Mulgoa home and the guarantee of a home cooked meal. Paul’s stepson Charlie Brister is another to play a key role in the Cave racing operation. “Charlie is an exceptional horseman,” says Martha. “He’s our go-to man for the breaking in of the yearlings, and anything in the place that might be causing headaches. He’s a wizard with headstrong horses.”
Of the twelve horse team currently in training at Curragh Lodge Martha is perhaps most excited about a three year old filly called La Belle Claire. This Highland Reel half sister to the five time winner Monsieur Sisu, was unplaced at her only start at Kembla Grange in August after overracing badly. “She did everything wrong that day so we stopped immediately in the hope she forgets all about an unpleasant experience,” said Martha. “There’s a lot of natural ability there. It’s just a matter of her learning how to handle that ability.”
Martha Cave was born in America, raised in England and came to Australia many years ago. She’s been fascinated with the thoroughbred from the time she arrived in this country. She’s had a wonderful tutor in her vastly experienced husband, and is enjoying the opportunity to put her own stamp on the Cave horses going forward. She offered one short quote in our phone conversation on Sunday morning which was unique in its simplicity. “Every horse can only be as good as it can be” said Martha.
The message is clear. Don’t expect too much and be prepared to exhaust every avenue in developing any semblance of talent that may appear. That’s been Paul Cave’s credo since he won his first race with Lord Volos at Newcastle in the early seventies. His new training partner is in full accord.
Another Randwick win for Bowery Breeze 24/06/2023 - Andrew Adkins in the saddle - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Bowery Breeze (Jason Collett) put the opposition away in the BM72 on the Kenso track last Friday - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)