Ciaron Maher delighted with victory over Melbourne Cup handicapper
Ciaron Maher says one of his five Melbourne Cup runners has "beaten the handicapper".
Maher and training partner David Eustace will run five stayers in Tuesday's $8m showpiece as they did last year when winning their first Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip.
Gold Trip will again lead the Maher and Eustace camp's Melbourne Cup charge but the stayer will carry 1kg more than last year.
But Maher said another import, the Bart Cummings winner Future History, has managed to sneak into the Melbourne Cup on favourable weight terms.
Future History carried 54kg to win the Bart Cummings before having 56kg when a solid third to Cleveland in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup but drops to 50kg in the Melbourne Cup.
Future History's rating rose seven points for his last-start placing at Group 2 level but was unable to be penalised for the Melbourne Cup as the import didn't win last month's race.
"The aim is to beat the handicapper in a handicap and he's definitely done that," Maher said.
"The run at The Valley was super and I think he drops a stone (6kg) on his run at The Valley."
Future History firmed from $31 to $26 after drawing the middle of the line in barrier 13.
British jockey Hollie Doyle will head to Melbourne to ride the six-year-old in the Victoria Racing Club showpiece.
Maher said Doyle's engagement boosted his confidence in Future History outperforming his odds on Tuesday.
"He gets Hollie Doyle on board, probably one of the strongest riders in Europe and I'm sure he'll make his presence felt," Maher said.
Another of Maher and Eustace's longshots, eight-year-old galloper Ashrun, has done an amazing job to even make the Melbourne Cup field.
Ashrun won the Hotham Handicap, now Lexus Archer, when trained by German trainer Andreas Wohler in 2020 and finished 10th in that year's Melbourne Cup before unjust cost him almost three years of his career.
Ashrun turned in two promising efforts in lead-up races before getting into the Melbourne Cup with his close second in the Geelong Cup.
Maher said the gelding could spring a surprise, especially with triple Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.
"He's just been a real revelation," Maher said.
"The owners spent three years getting the horse conditioned up to racing.
"He's got a light weight and had a brilliant prep so he's a bit of a sneaky."
