Promising galloper Tippa chasing third straight victory in Skybeau Series Final at Morphettville on Saturday

Trainer Shayne Cahill will learn more about the staying prowess of his consistent galloper Tippa at Morphettville on Saturday.

Tippa, ridden by Rochelle Milnes, wins at Morphettville last start. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Rising stayer Tippa is as consistent as the day is long, and trainer Shayne Cahill will learn more about the gelding’s staying credentials after a 2500m test in Saturday’s Skybeau Series Final at Morphettville.

Tippa is chasing a hat-trick of wins, and hasn’t missed the placings in nine starts since the Adelaide Guineas in May.

The four-year-old gritted his teeth for a tough win over 2250m when lumping 60kg at Morphettville last start, and has come through his sixth career win in flying colours.

“You wouldn’t have thought he’d been around, he pulled up super on the day, he licked the bin that night and hasn’t turned a hair,” Cahill, who trains in partnership with wife Chelsea, said.

“He seems happy and well, and is doing everything right, I’m confident he’s going there in good order.”

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Stepping up to 2500m, it is unknown how Tippa will fare over the rise in distance, while rain that is predicted may also influence his chances.

“Saturday’s obviously going to be a test with 59kg on his back, going over 2500m for the first time, it depends if that track gets wet,” he said.

“He does like it, he handles it, but if it got to a heavy for example then I’d say he’s got a bit of an ask with 59kg on his back.

“They’re talking 2-20ml so it could be anything – we might not get any.

“I’m quietly confident he’ll get the trip, if its run at a genuine tempo it should help him to switch off.”

If Tippa can string a third win in a row together, this time over 2500m, there will be no shortage of options for the promising galloper going forward, with Cahill already having one eye on Adelaide’s autumn carnival.

An Adelaide Cup tilt over two miles could even be entertained.

“Next time around that would open up more avenues for which way we want to go, whether we keep him fresher to the 1600-2000m or step him up to the 2400m to 3200m,” he said.

“(Adelaide Cup) would be a possibility, we’d speak to the owner group, as a horse he’s not a bad sized horse, but (when) you put him up against those more furnished stayers, he’s a little bit smaller and not as big and strong as those other ones.

“He’d probably need to furnish a bit more to have that constitution to get a two mile and have that turn of foot.

“If he can have a turn of foot at the end of that 2500m, that would give us some kind of inkling as to whether or not he could possibly go the two mile.”

TIPPA is the winner at Morphettville! 💪 pic.twitter.com/bKLku8xNHz

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 9, 2024

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Cahill is bullish that the best of Tippa is yet to come, and a stint in the paddock likely awaits the gelding following the Skybeau Final.

Talented apprentice Rochelle Milnes will ride Tippa on Saturday, and has won four races on the gelding.

“He’s been a progressive horse who’s given the other owners a lot of fun, it’s been good fun and a good ride with him so far,” Cahill said.

“I think we’ve still got more to come, he might even be a nicer horse next time round, a little bit more furnished.

“It would be nice to hopefully win this tomorrow, and build up to some listed races and what not throughout our carnival.”

Cahill, a former jockey himself, rode Tippa’s dam Letmedowngently to back-to-back wins during his riding career.

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Morphettville hosts a nine-race card for Finals Day on Saturday, with six races offering over $100,000 in prizemoney.

“We’ve targeted these races since they’ve been put on, we’ve had a bit of luck with some of them, it’s a good day’s racing and it’s good for the Adelaide-based trainers to chase some better money to build their purse up a bit,” he said.

“A day like that, it gets the adrenaline going, and when you’ve got a good chance in one – it’s great.”

Shayne and Chelsea Cahill have saddled four winners from their last seven runners, and celebrated their first metro double as a team on November 9 with Tippa and The Gov.

The training pair are striking at an impressive 19 per cent since officially starting their partnership in August.

“We’ve got a good group of owners in Tippa, some of them are first timers, others have been in heaps of horses, it’s a real good thrill for them and a buzz to have a horse like him who’s pretty consistent,” he said.

Tippa is a $4.40 chance with Sportsbet fixed odds for Saturday’s Skybeau Final.

Originally published as Promising galloper Tippa chasing third straight victory in Skybeau Series Final at Morphettville on Saturday