Ciaron Maher will look to increase his hand in the Melbourne Cup by winning a ballot exemption with one of four horses at Flemington.
The Bart Cummings (2500m) on Saturday is the last Flemington-based ‘win and you’re in’ race for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 4, although the Geelong Cup (2400m) on October 22 and the Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) two days later offers those on the cusp a chance of breaking into the race ‘that stops the nation’.
The Maher stable will saddle imported stayers Berkshire Breeze, Interpretation, Sayedaty Sadaty and Gilded Water in Saturday’s race.
A win in benchmark 84 grade over 2000m at Caulfield on September 20 secured a run on Saturday for Gilded Water who is chasing a start in the Melbourne Cup for King Charles III.
Saturday’s outing will be Gilded Water’s third for the campaign and Maher’s National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull said the gelding had been screaming out for a trip.
“He is third up at the trip, but he’s got a huge aerobic capacity,” Turnbull said.
“He’s done the work as he’s been in work a long time.”
While Gilded Water has only had the two runs ahead of Saturday’s outing, Turnbull said the gelding had been in work for some time.
Gilded Water started his campaign with Julien Welsh getting some much-needed barrier practise.
“He was really nervous, tense, so he did a lot of gate work before coming over to us,” Turnbull said.
“It was not about fitness then, but he was active for a while.”
“His main aim is the Melbourne Cup, so obviously Saturday is a win and you’re in, and if he does, it makes it a bit easier choosing the races we want from then on,” Turnbull said.
While Gilded Water is the top elect for The Bart Cummings, Turnbull said the stable’s other runners cannot be treated lightly.
He said Berkshire Breeze ran well behind Half Yours in the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 20.
“He’s on the up. We thought he was really good and it’s a good opportunity for him to get into the Cup,” Turnbull said.
The stable pushed Sayedaty Sadaty out of his comfort zone in front when third in The Archer (2500m) at Flemington on September 13.
“They went very sedate, and it backfired on us,” Turnbull said.
“At the time you think it’s good, but he’s not a horse that you can rip up and do a ‘six home two’. He needs to build, so for him to be dynamic, it’s about timing and we had it too cute in front last time.”
Interpretation is chasing a fourth start in the Melbourne Cup and Turnbull said he was going well.
“He’s raced in three Melbourne Cups and he’s in similar condition to what he has been in in the last couple of years,” Turnbull said.
