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 morning, but instead Maher kept them at Cranbourne to finalise preparations for the 2400m handicap.
Maher said he did not want to put any undue stress on Smokin’ Romans, described by the co-trainer as quirky, by firstly bringing him from Fingal to Cranbourne and then to Caulfield.
Smokin’ Romans is the $5 favourite with TAB ahead on Saturday’s race in which he will carry 51.5kg with Jamie Kah in the saddle.
“He works down at Fingal and has a routine of coming into Cranbourne and galloping,” Maher said.
“H’s very fit and well, so I thought I’d keep him in the same routine.
“He worked very well. Jamie rode him. He led up Gold Trip who will also take his place in the Cup.
“He’s a horse that is in career best form at present and going to the 2400 metres, he’s been ready for that for about a month now.
“Arguably it’s his best distance and dropping to that weight, there’s a lot to like about Saturday.”
Maher could not have imagined 12 months ago that Smokin’ Romans would be favourite for the Caulfield Cup.
Smokin’ Romans had been winning in restricted grade but was beaten by Wil John over 2400m on the middle day of the Caulfield Cup Carnival last year.
But Smokin’ Romans has justified his place at the top of the market with wins in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) and the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) in his past two outings.
“His plan was always the Melbourne Cup, but he’s gone to another level,” Maher said.
Stablemate Gold Trip will carry topweight of 57.5kg in Saturday’s race and Maher said he had been a work in work.
But after two 2000m races he was ready for the 2400m contest.
“We’re lucky we’ve got different environments that we can put horses in that are a little bit like that, you’re training their brain and he’s found his niche down there at Cranbourne,” Maher said.
“He’s had two strong 2000-metre runs and you would say his best run in Europe was running fourth in the Arc against some of the best horses in the world.
“He’s got a bit of weight on Saturday, but if he can reproduce that, he’s a quality horse.”
Final acceptances for the Caulfield Cup are taken at 3.30pm on Wednesday with the barrier draw to be conducted around 6pm.
