Mahagoni team dreaming of more riches with Cairns double

By Andrew Smith

Bill Mumford has notched multiple Group level wins through his ownership of several gun gallopers over the years.

And he feels he may have found another superstar in English import Mahagoni.

The six-year-old will be looking to notch a rare Cairns Cup-Cairns Amateurs double when he lines up in Saturday’s feature race at Ladbrokes Cannon Park.

Mahagoni would be the first horse to achieve the feat since the Stephen Massingham-trained The Harrovian claimed the double in 2019.

The Lindsay Gough-trained gelding strolled to a two-length victory over Magic Conqueror and Cashin’ Chex in the Cairns Cup late last month.

For Mumford, the maiden Cup win was up there with his best moments while involved in racing.

“It certainly wasn’t a surprise, but it was a great thrill,” Mumford said.

“I’ve had Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 winners but it’s always a thrill to win a Country Cup, particularly here in Cairns, I have a few friends that live here.

Mumford is well-placed to wax lyrical about the prospects of Mahagoni.

He previously owned 2004 Stradbroke Handicap runner-up Consular, who earned over $1 million in prize money from 16 wins and 14 placings from 85 starts.

The 73-year-old also owned Consular’s half-brother Reward For Effort, who won the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes in Caulfield under the guidance of master trainer Peter Moody.

Mumford believes Mahagoni may have the ability to match the heights reached by his former prized gallopers.

“With Mahagoni we may have unearthed something here, and I think there’s better things in store for him rather than the Cairns Cup,” Mumford said.

“The Toowoomba Cup is two weeks after this Saturday, we’re going to look at that also.

“He hasn’t gone backwards since he won the Cup, which was over three weeks ago, and the field is no stronger and there’s no surprises.

“I think he’ll be very hard to beat again.”

The Cairns Cup win was the first for the Mumford-Gough duo.

The successful partnership was born out of a chance meeting at a Brisbane pub around 20 years ago.

“I was at a racing function at the Pineapple Hotel in Brisbane and a good mate of mine Mike Hayes had horses with Lindsay,” Mumford explains.

“He just happened to introduce him to me and the friendship blossomed from there.

“Next minute, we had a couple of horses there and from then on we’ve raced quite a few horses and had a lot of success.”

Georgina Cartwright will again take the ride on Mahagoni for the $150,000 Amateur Cup on Saturday.

He will jump from barrier seven and start favourite for the 2100m trip, firming into $3 as of Thursday afternoon.

Gough said the fourth-placed finish in the Mackay Cup had paved the way for Mahagoni’s Cairns Cup win and, hopefully,  more success this weekend.

“It was great, we’re thrilled to have won that race and he probably needed Mackay, he pulled up and got to the 2000 a fraction quick,” Gough said.

“So getting to the Cairns Cup with one 2000 under his belt, he came out of the Cairns Cup much better and pulled up a treat and he recovered well so we feel he’s thrived.

“We’re very happy - he placed at 2000 once before but until they do it, you’re never so sure but we’re quietly confident without being too over the top.”

Based at Eagle Farm, Gough’s Amateurs Carnival runners are being housed at the stables of Fred Wieland at Cannon Park.

Gough will also saddle up Constant Flight with Cartwright on board for the $75,000 Cairns Amateur Sprint.

The 10-year-old won the 2023 edition of the race, with Saturday’s 1400m running set to be his Amateurs swansong.

“He ran well in the Rocky Newmarket - it was a good tough run, wasn’t beaten all that far,” Gough said.

“He raced well in Cairns last start and won the Cairns Amateur Sprint last year so we’re hoping lightning will strike twice.

“He’s in good form albeit he’s getting on in years, he’s racing very well so if he can draw a barrier he’d be very hard to beat.

“This would be his last year, we’ll go run to run with him but we bought him as an eight-year-old and he’s never really run a bad race for us to be honest.

“He’s a healthy happy old horse and we’d like, if we can, to run him in the Magic Millions Country Cup and then that would be probably the finish for him.”

Gough’s other galloper, For Valour, has also been accepted for Saturday’s Amateur Sprint.

Born in Townsville, race wins in North Queensland take on extra meaning for the 56-year-old.

His father Barry Gough was a jockey-turned-trainer before relocating the family to Brisbane to continue his training career.

“I left Townsville when I was 16 so we’ve got a lot of fond memories there running round the streets, riding our ponies, so to win these races up there it means a lot,” Gough said.

“Every now and again I give Dad a call…I’ve been doing this 25 years now but they say you never stop learning in this caper so it’s always good to ask someone a few questions.

“He lives at Caboolutre these days but he still follows horses very closely.”

This weekend’s iconic Cairns Amateurs will see the curtain close on the 2024 Northern Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.

A huge crowd is expected for the two days of racing at Cannon Park, with the popular Ladies Day meeting held on Friday.

Mumford believes the weekend rivals some of the best racedays across the country.

“I think the Amateurs is really special, and a lot of southern people come up from Sydney, Melbourne, all over Australia,” Mumford said.

“With the Amateurs Gala Ball Friday night and the racing on Saturday, I think the Amateurs is right up there.”