Ciaron Maher says national pride is on the line in next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup as he prepares a record number of runners to do battle against legendary Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien’s five starters in the big race.
Maher is on track to have eight runners in the Melbourne Cup, including the favourite Point of Law, who beat two O’Brien-trained horses Small Fry and Omni Man in the Geelong Cup.
He not only gained a golden ticket but denied the Irish trainer a chance to have a sixth runner in the great race.
Alongside Point of Law, Maher has Saint George, Juja Kibo, Middle Earth, Mr Monaco, Shockletz, Royal Supremacy and Zahrann sitting inside the top 24 in the order of entry while a ninth entrant Kings Valley is battling for a start.
The previous record was when Robert Hickmott saddled up six runners for owner Lloyd Williams in 2013.
O’Brien will race last year’s runner-up Goodie Two Shoes as well as Defiantly, Sons and Lovers, Trustyourinstinct and James J Braddock.
It means the master trainers from opposite sides of the world are likely to saddle up half the field and have the top six fancied runners in the race.
Maher agreed that national pride was on the line on Tuesday as local trainers battled the international raiders including O’Brien, who he described as “always a force to be reckoned with”.
“We don’t want [the Cup] going overseas. We want it staying here,” Maher said.
Australian trainers have won the past five Melbourne Cups after sharing six of the previous 11 Cups with overseas-based trainers. Apart from O’Brien’s quintet, there are four other horses with international trainers likely to gain a start in the race.
Maher won the race with Gold Trip in 2022 and finished third with Middle Earth last year behind Half Yours and O’Brien’s Goodie Two Shoes. O’Brien won the race in 2017 with Rekindling and 2020 with Twilight Payment.
Despite flying under the radar in the lead up, Maher rates Middle Earth among his best chances because he is a seasoned stayer who he believes is in better form now than he was this time last year.
But Point of Law has caught the attention of the O’Brien stable, their racing manager Kevin Blake saying they are “fearful of him”.
“He has clearly stepped forward since he’s been here and Ciaron will be hoping he steps forward again for the big one which he clearly has the potential to do,” Blake said.
Blake said he wasn’t prepared to declare just yet the best credentialled of O’Brien’s five runners with barriers and weather among the variables to be considered. He described the crop as “a solid bunch of stayers”.
Maher agreed Point of Law was one of his best chances and his ability was undeniable, but he sounded a word of warning for punters, reminding them the Cup will be just his sixth start.
“Whether he is seasoned enough will be the thing,” Maher said.
Maher declared Juja Kibo to be in career best form and Saint George’s run in the Cox Plate when he “rocketed home” had him excited.
Shockletz, who will carry just 51 kilograms in the Cup, reminds Maher of High Emocean which carried a light weight to run third in 2022, and he said Mr Monaco was a genuine two-miler.
The market has his other runners Zahrann and Royal Supremacy well down in betting.
O’Brien is due to arrive on Monday evening after attending the Breeders Cup meeting on the weekend.
Meantime, Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jamie Melham will not ride on Derby Day after her attempt to overturn a suspension failed on appeal.
Racing NSW ruled on Monday that her four-meeting ban for careless riding aboard Marhoona would stand. However, she will return to the saddle at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
Melham is yet to finalise a Cup ride but is expected to ride in the Cup, which she won aboard Half Yours last year.
Half Yours was withdrawn from this year’s race after suffering lacerations when he fell in the Caulfield Cup.
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