When Middle Earth arrived in Australia for his first campaign in Australia, he hit the ground running.
Success came first-up in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m) at Flemington which was followed by a fifth placing in the Australian Cup.
The next time Middle Earth appeared in the placings was in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley last October as a prelude to his third-place finish in last year’s Melbourne Cup.
European stayers invariably run well early before their form tapers off and the longer they are in Australia their form returns.
That is what the Ciaron Maher stable is banking on as they head towards the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup with Middle Earth who takes a step on the path towards those races in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Middle Earth wintered in the Queensland warmth and scored at Doomben in May and resumed with a pleasing eighth in the Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield on August 29.
Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, said Middle Earth had progressed nicely in his Cups campaign in which he has 55kg in the Caulfield Cup and 56.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, a 2kg rise on his weight when third last year.
“He’s great,” Turnbull said.
“I think he’s sharpened up off the break and last preparation. We won a Group 3 at 2000 metres up in Queensland.
“He gets winkers back on and it’s all part of the process to get him up in trip.
“We feel he is sharper and better (than last year) and he’ll be on to the Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup, and he is one of our better chances.”
With Melbourne experiencing sun on Friday and a warm day on Saturday, Turnbull said the ideal surface for Middle Earth would be a track in the Good 4 to Soft 5 range, good European ground.
Turnbull said a forward result would please the stable as Middle Earth was likely to head to the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3 on his way to the Caulfield Cup.
“If you’re running well in an Underwood, it generally carries through to races a bit later on,” Turnbull said.
