Dobbinair continues winning momentum for Shayne and Chelsea Cahill at Murray Bridge

Training couple Shayne and Chelsea Cahill have carried their winning ways into 2025, nailing another victory with promising gelding Dobbinair in sweltering conditions at Murray Bridge on Saturday.

Dobbinair made it back-to-back wins at Murray Bridge on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Training couple Shayne and Chelsea Cahill have carried their winning ways into 2025, nailing another win with promising gelding Dobbinair in sweltering conditions at Murray Bridge on Saturday.

The son of Grunt, who won first-up from a spell at Murray Bridge in December, charged home under Jason Holder to beat Teardrop Rotation in a-head bobbing finish in a Benchmark 64 (1100m).

The Cahill stable is striking at 21 per cent this season and looks to have unearthed another smart galloper in Dobbinair, who was a bargain $7000 purchase at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale in 2022.

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“It’s always an ask to go from a maiden to a 64 in town, and go back-to-back,” Shayne Cahill said.

“The race wasn’t really run at good speed, so it didn’t suit him, he was caught deep and got flushed out wider through the corner.

“It was a really solid win to still be able to get up, he’s a horse I think will appreciate further.”

Dobbinair follows up on his impressive maiden win, recording consecutive victories ✨ pic.twitter.com/Nw4XDOfEcO

— Racing.com (@Racing) January 3, 2025

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Cahill has identified the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m, formerly Euclase Stakes) as a possible landing spot for Dobbinair during the Adelaide Carnival.

“I was talking to my dad and I said if he won today we might tip him out and go to something like the Euclase through our carnival.

“Mentally, he’s still improving, even coming from the shed out the back into the parade ring he made my work hard and we had to get the pony next to him.

“He’s a work in progress and hopefully with more racing he will get better, we haven’t really tinkered with any gear yet so he’s an empty bottle at the moment – hopefully we’ll fill it up.”

The win aboard Dobbinair was the first of a riding double for Holder, who also steered Manhattan Times to victory in race four for Victorian trainer Andrew Noblet.

It was the first win for Manhattan Times since a victory at Morphettville in May 2023, which was also under Holder, when trained by master trainer Leon Macdonald.

Macdonald is in the gelding’s ownership, with the galloper still racing in the retired trainer’s iconic black and white silks.

Manhattan Times displays a superior turn of foot, proving a class above his opposition âš¡ pic.twitter.com/A9W7Bzum6j

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“He’s been a good horse to me, obviously Leon Macdonald has got a share in him as well, he rang me last night and said ‘step up, Holdy’,” Holder said.

“It was good to ride a winner back on him … I know a bit about him – it’s great.”

Apprentice jockey Rochelle Milnes, who leads the Adelaide Jockeys’ Premiership with 21 wins, guided Morris Minor to a strong win in the following race for Morphettville trainer Craig Curtis before combining with Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea for a victory aboard Pure Bliss in a Class 2 (1100m).

Gotta Go Guru disappointed punters last start when finishing seventh as a short-priced favourite, but the Andrew Gluyas-trained mare was back to her best today scoring a comfortable three-length win under Taylor Johnstone.

Johnstone later scored another win aboard the Travis Doudle-trained Shisuta Bo, notching another metro double, and shared riding honours on the nine-race card with Holder and Milnes.

All races were completed by 1:15pm (ACDT) on Saturday, with the opening race run at 9am. Racing SA brought race times forward to ensure horses weren’t competing in peak temperatures of up to 40 degrees in the afternoon.