Gold Trip to back up in the Cox Plate

Gold Trip has drawn barrier two, the next stall inside Willie Mullins' Irish raider, and will spearhead a group of five contenders for Maher and co-trainer David Eustace in Tuesday's $8 million feature at Flemington. Star jockey James McDonald will ride the topweight, who will need to defy almost half a century of history to defend his title. No…

The field of 12 is confirmed and the all-important barrier draw conducted for Saturday's Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m). The Valley will come alight this weekend for the coveted Cox Plate Carnival headlined by a dozen of the world's premiere weight-for-age gallopers facing off in the Cox Plate field on Saturday. Heading Cox Plate…

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will back-up Gold Trip into the Cox Plate after all the early indications are that he has taken no harm from his tough run in the Caulfield Cup. Gold Trip will be joined in Australia's weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley on Saturday by three-year-old King Colorado. The pair are among 12 acceptors for the…

104-year-old daredevil from Chicago traded in her walker for a parachute and breaks the record for oldest skydiver in the world. Champion trainer Ciaron Maher has labelled his imported galloper Duke De Sessa the forgotten horse in Saturday's $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup. Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, saddles up favourite…

Ben Melham has gone close to winning the Caulfield Cup and even though he is booked to ride Gold Trip is none the wiser as to whether the horse will run. The track condition on Saturday will be key to whether Gold Trip runs in the Group 1 Handicap over 2400m in which he has 58.5kg and is the current $5.00 favourite with online…

The weather forecast will have a bearing on whether Gold Trip attempts to avenge his defeat last year's Caulfield Cup. Fine weather is forecast for the remainder of the week which is playing on the minds of trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace ahead of acceptances for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday. Maher said the weather was one…

Gold Trip storms home in Turnbull stakes | 00:47 Gilbert Gardiner from Punters Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip has stamped his authority on upcoming spring majors with an unbelievable performance in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m). In his first trip back to Headquarters since the first Tuesday in November last year, the Ciaron Maher and David…

High Emocean produced a career peak off a quick turnaround in the spring and trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have deliberately applied the same formula for her Sydney Cup bid. The mare finished a slashing third to stablemate Gold Trip at her only other attempt over the two-mile journey in last year's Melbourne Cup, six days after earning…

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace celebrating Gold Trip's Melbourne Cup triumph. Picture: Scott Barbour-Racing Photos Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip has a shot at history on Saturday at Randwick trying to add the Group 1 Sydney Cup in the same season. Champion jockey James McDonald will ride the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stayer,…

Right You Are may have booked a trip to Tasmania for their upcoming Cup races with an explosive win at Sandown to complete a winning hat-trick. In a career plagued by a suspensory injury at the end of his four-year-old year, Right You Are is racing in career best form since joining the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable having added the Ladbroke…

Co-trainer David Eustace says Persan has been lacking the X-factor in his bid to get back into winning form. It has been 18 months since Persan last crossed the line in first position but gets another chance on Saturday when he lines up in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield. Persan has been to the post on 13 occasions since that…

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have underlined their status as Australia's top training partnership after adding a Melbourne Cup to their mantelpiece of feature wins. The pair had an incredible five chances in Tuesday's race, and finished with first, third (High Emocean) and seventh (Smokin' Romans), with Gold Trip ranked by punters as their…

Australian Bloodstock's Luke Murrell and Jamie Lovett. Hunter syndicators Australian Bloodstock hope speed on the outside of Gold Trip will help him gain an economical run from gate 14 in the Melbourne Cup (3200 metres) on Tuesday. Gold Trip, a close runner-up in the Caulfield Cup (2400m), will back up from a soft run in the Cox Plate (2040m) as…

Moonee Valley's Cox Plate committee has elected not to use its discretion to deny any of the 12 acceptors a start in the race, with Caulfield Cup runner-up Gold Trip - to be partnered by champion UK jockey Jamie Spencer - adding another dimension to Saturday's $5 million race. In previous years, the race committee hasn't shied away from blocking an…

Jamie Kah's Caulfield Cup mount Smokin' Romans has drawn perfectly for Saturday's $5m Group 1 to comfortably hold favouritism. Smokin' Romans leapt to the top of Caulfield Cup betting after his last-start win in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 1. TAB has Smokin' Romans at $4.60 to win the Caulfield Cup after the Ciaron Maher…

Caulfield Cup favourite Smokin' Romans has drawn barrier five. Picture: George Sal-Racing Photos via Getty Images Jamie Kah's Caulfield Cup mount Smokin' Romans has drawn perfectly for Saturday's $5m Group 1 to comfortably hold favouritism. Smokin' Romans leapt to the top of Caulfield Cup betting after his last-start win in the Group 1 Turnbull…

Smokin' Romans and Gold Trip have finalised their Caulfield Cup preparations with a gallop at Cranbourne Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace elected to keep Caulfield Cup hopes Smokin' Romans and Gold Trip on home soil for their final gallops ahead of Saturday's Group 1 race. Both stayers were pencilled in to gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday…

Smokin' Romans emerged as a serious Caulfield Cup hope for Ciaron Maher following a gutsy victory in the $200000 Foundation Cup at Caulfield on Saturday. The New Zealand bred stayer beat Uncle Bryn and Gold Trip to win the ballot free exemption race into the Caulfield Cup. Smokin' Romans was 57th in order of entry for the Caulfield Cup before his…

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Sir Bailey is about to embark on his three-year-old campaign that may lead to a bigger prize during the spring. The son of multiple Group 1 winning mare Jameka resumes in the Inglis Ready2Race Sale October 11 Plate (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday, his first start since April. Maher and Eustace have…

David Eustace (pictured) and Ciaron Maher have six runners in the VRC Members Handicap at Flemington. Picture: Brett Holburt/Racing Photos via Getty Images Bookies are wary but co-trainer David Eustace is playing down hopes of the stable's latest Melbourne Cup hope winning at his Australian debut at Flemington. Eustace and training partner Ciaron…

Defending champion Twilight Payment is one of 60 horses that remains in contention for the Melbourne Cup after third declarations on Tuesday. The Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2 will be run in front of a crowd this year with the Victorian State Government allowing 10000 patrons on course. Besides Twilight Payment who…

Floating Artist will chase a Caulfield Cup ballot exemption in the Coongy Cup at Caulfield It wasn't until Floating Artist strolled home to claim his third win on the trot that the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable considered a Caulfield Cup start. But to make sure of getting into Saturday's 2400m Group 1 Handicap, Floating Artist needed to win…

Twilight Payment (right): will carry top weight for the Melbourne Cup in November They may be fewer in number this year but internationally trained horses still dominate the top order of the Lexus Melbourne Cup weights, which were released by Racing Victoria and the Victoria Racing Club (VRC) on Tuesday. The Joseph O'Brien-trained defending…

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable has taken the opportunity to give two of their runners a look at Caulfield before an upcoming Group 1 race. Duke De Sessa and Steinem will represent the stable in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) on Saturday as they kick off their spring campaigns. Working with Kettle Hill, Duke De Sessa was having his first look…