By David Nagel
Cranbourne trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are the toast of the racing world after their French-import Gold Trip produced a magnificent performance to win Tuesday’s Group-1 $8million Melbourne Cup (3200m).
It was Maher and Eustace’s first win in the race that stops the nation, and the first time a horse trained at Cranbourne had been successful in the famous Flemington two-miler.
Remarkably, four of the top seven horses in this year’s Melbourne Cup were trained in the south-east region, with Maher-Eustace also preparing High Emocean (third) and Smokin’ Romans (seventh), while Pakenham-trainer Phillip Stokes had his Adelaide Cup winner, Daqiansweet Junior, slot into sixth place.
Gold Trip came to Australia last year, specifically to run in the 2021 cup, but failed to gain a start.
Jockey Mark Zahra also has a hard-luck story to tell from last year, surrendering the ride on eventual winner Verry Elleegant after earning a suspension.
But both horse and jockey this time gained redemption in the biggest race on the Australian racing calendar.
Jumping from barrier 13, Zahra was caught wide with cover throughout, settling well back in the field before patiently waiting in the straight.
He pounced to the lead at the 300 and held off the fast-finishing runner-up Emissary, with High Emocean storming home into third place.
Race favourite Deauville Legend finished fourth.
Maher was emotional and still trying to take things in after the race, and typically praised his staff for their efforts.
“No not really, no, I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet, but it’s phenomenal,” he said.
“Everyone has had a lot to do with this horse.
“John Bunting, he’s a great mate of mine, he’s had this horse in very good order all the way along…great mate, great bloke, and very good at what he does, we’re fortunate.
“It’s just huge, Dave (Eustace) and I are lucky enough to stand here, but God, most of our staff are here today, friends and family, it’s just fantastic.”
Maher had dreamed as a youngster of winning Australia’s great race.
“I said to dad when I was about 12 that we’re going to go to New Zealand – he had the idea too – that we would go to New Zealand and buy a New Zealand horse to win the cup,” Maher said.
“There’s been a few hurdles, but it’s great to have everyone here and it’s such a special moment, great clients, great friends, family, and all the team, they’ve all done a fantastic job.”
While Maher hails from a dairy farm around Warrnambool, his now partner Eustace made his way to Australia after building a solid background in England.
His dad was a trainer, and his brother trains now, and he once shared a house at Newmarket with James Ferguson and Ed Crisford, who both trained horses in Tuesday’s great race.
“For me it’s just a great honour to be working with these horses and working for Ciaron, it’s not lost on me what a privilege it is,” Eustace said, visibly shaking after the win.
“Most of the staff are here and it’s an amazing team effort…it’s pretty surreal at the moment.”
Eustace said that despite Gold Trip having never run over two-miles, and being outgunned late in the 2400-metre Caulfield Cup, the team was confident he would get the journey.
“We were confident he would get it; he didn’t get a shot last year and I suppose it’s sort of redemption for the horse as much as anything,” he said.
“He wasn’t able to do it last year and he’s shown now that he’s a top-liner.
“We were very, very worried that last 100, when Emissary was coming, I thought it’s going to be a repeat of the Caulfield Cup.
“But the horse really dug in and Mark gave him the most beautiful ride, he waited and waited and waited and the horse kicked at the right time and thank God he did.
“I can’t believe it, I’m a little overcome, it’s a dream.
“It’s the pinnacle of our sport and to do it with Ciaron, it’s a great honour to be doing that with these good horses and an amazing team of staff that we have.
“It’s full credit to them, to get five (horses) here, this horse was so unlucky in the Caulfield Cup, we were so gutted when he got beat, and I thought he was going to get beat today again.
“It’s quite incredible.”
Zahra was also in dreamland, feeling the complete opposite to what he did 12 months earlier.
“This time last year I was watching Verry Elleegant win and getting told off for drinking too much, because it hurt,” he said.
“It hasn’t slipped my mind; I think about it all the time that I could have ridden her.
“But to come a full year and have redemption on a horse like this, with good mates of mine, they train the horse, own the horse, my wife’s here, it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
The winning hoop said the horse overcame some of his traits to respond in the style of a champion.
“He’s the sort of horse, you can kid to him a bit, but when you go, you have to go, because he can think about it, so I went, and I was thinking, we’ve still got a bit to go here,” he said.
“Early, I was thinking I was a little too far back, and I didn’t want to push early because I thought he might die late.
“I was just in a three-wide lane that kept improving, improving, I counted to 10 a couple of times when a few came around me.
“I got to the top of the straight and I was thinking ‘it’s time to go now’…and he really let rip when I asked him.
“It was a great training effort, I was very doubtful he would run 3200, but Ciaron, Dave and the team have just had him spot on today…it’s unbelievable.
“They’re the best trainers of stayers, that’s one thing that I had confidence in, that they trained the horse, because I was actually quite vocal that I didn’t think he would get the trip.
“The last 50 just went forever, I still can’t believe it, the Melbourne Cup, it’s unbelievable.”
