Latest news with #CiaronMaher
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
2025 The Everest: Ciaron Maher-trained, Ozzie Kheir-owned Jimmysstar confirmed for TAB slot
Ciaron Maher will get the chance to win The Everest in consecutive years – and so too will slot holder TAB – after freakish Group 1 winner Jimmysstar became the fourth horse signed up for the $20m race in 2025. Jimmysstar, a two-time Group 1 winner last seen storming to victory in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in April, becomes the fourth horse to score a slot for The Everest in October. The horse they all have to beat, Hong Kong superstar Ka Ring Rising, is confirmed for a slot and is the hot $1.80 favourite, while Private Harry ($6) and Briasa ($8) also have slots. Champion trainer Maher won the 2024 The Everest with Bella Nipotina and will get the chance to go back to back after Jimmysstar scored the TAB slot. Earlier in his career, Jimmysstar could be an enigmatic galloper and several times went down as raging favourite, including as a $1.26 chance at Flemington and also when starting at $1.75 at Eagle Farm. But the penny has well and truly dropped and he is now widely considered one of the most explosive sprinters in the country. He came from near last to blow away his opposition in this year's Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield and also powered over the top of his rivals in the All Aged. JIMMYSSTAR FROM THE CLOUDS! 🚀 He wins his first Group 1 for @cmaherracing 🥰 @Brown_ethan8 â€' (@Racing) February 22, 2025 • Jimmysstar races in the colours of prominent owner Ozzie Kheir who, along with his close friend Brae Sokolski, tasted Everest success when Yes Yes Yes won for Chris Waller in 2019. Kheir wasn't on track that day but said nothing would keep him away from Randwick when Jimmysstar contested The Everest later this year. 'We were in discussions with TAB for several weeks on Jimmysstar and they were fantastic to deal with and have come to the party with the ownership group's expectations,' Kheir said. @cmaherracing and @Brown_ethan8! 🙌 @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 19, 2025 'We are very excited to have one of our favourite horses heading towards The Everest which would not have been in our thought processes only nine months ago. 'Jimmy has been a quirky horse from the outset, which has cost him winning in the past, but now he has turned into a racehorse mentally and from his recent videos of him he looks unreal 'He has so much ability. 'He is not a big horse but he is all muscle.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Without Peer lived up to his name with spectacular debut victory at Rosehill Gardens
Without Peer lived up to his name and gave a glimpse of his untapped potential with a perfect debut performance at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. The Ciaron Maher -trained gelding was one of three first starters in the 2YO Handicap (1200m) and made an excellent first impression with a strong finishing burst. Jockey Chad Schofield landed near the rear of the field before making a sustained run down the middle of the track to score. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Without Peer ($11) held off Peter Snowden 's Spice Prawn ($5) to salute with the Joseph Pride -trained Reflect ($14) making up good ground from the back to finish third. 'He is a lovely horse,' Schofield said. 'He is a stylish animal and gave me classy feel when we went to the gates, albeit very raw. 'My instructions were just to let him balance up and travel and I was told he would very strong late. 'When he quickened as well as he did at the top of the straight, I was very confident.' Schofield hadn't ridden Without Peer in either of his trials where the son of Pierata had finished midfield in both hit-outs. The Maher stable didn't initially plan on targeting Saturday's race for his first-up assignment but after seeing the depth of the race, they decided to give him his chance. Without Peer delivered for the stable with a strong debut effort. 'He has done a very good job,' Maher's assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said. 'He surprised us a bit. He has a lot of talent but is still very raw and we saw that in both of his trials, especially his first one. 'But if you watch his first trial he was very new around the turn and he had to get him off heels late, which is always very promising. 'I don't think this was the deepest two year old Saturday race, which is why he ran today because it wasn't the plan initially. 'We felt 1200m at Rosehill would be a very good starting point.' Without Peer and Harry's Bar the first two winners at Rosehill, Race 3 about to be run on 7! â€' 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) July 19, 2025 Without Peer was purchased by Triple Crown for $120,000, the same figure they spent on their dual Everest winner Redzel when he was offered at the Gold Coast in 2014. Without Peer was consigned to Inglis' Premier Yearling Sale in Victoria by Ollie Tait's Twin Hills Stud at Cootamundra. A son of Pierata, Without Peer a half-brother to Riduna whose most memorable performances included a fourth to Fangirl in the 2021 Reginald Allen and a close second to Hope In Your Heart in the Group 3 NJC Tibbie Stakes. Whether Without Peer will measure up in the spring remains to be seen but the gelding is set to get his chance to stake a carnival claim. 'It's that time of the year where you have to (push on to the spring),' Gerard-Dubord said. 'He is still furnishing so we will give him some time between runs and he will keep improving. 'That was a bonus today. 'We will get further. He was strong there and having a good look but I think he can go 1200m to 1400m next start and could be a miler in time.' There was drama for the connections of unbeaten Canberra galloper I Show Speed was scratched behind the gates. Alphard Chris Waller -trained colt caught in traffic on the inside before finishing fifth. Stablemate Portofino ($4.20) failed to fire on debut after sitting outside the lead.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Rising apprentice Anna Roper preparing for big day at Rosehill Gardens
Anna Roper is eager to make the most of her opportunities at Rosehill Gardens and expects Spywire to be hard to beat with even luck on Saturday. Roper has a handy book across the 10-event card with the Ciaron Maher -trained Spywire headlining the bunch in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m). Spywire is the $2.70 favourite to score his first win since debut preparation as a two-year-old but wasn't far away first-up with Roper aboard. The son of Trapeze Artist only got clear air halfway down the Rosehill straight before just missing behind form sprinter King's Secret. 'Spywire was a tad unlucky first-up but also peaked on his run late,' Roper said. 'The team went into that run thinking he would take improvement off it and I think he certainly will, he was wirey in the coat. 'I think he will take massive improvement. He will need a little bit of luck from a tricky barrier. 'He is a horse that I don't know if you can push or pull too much. You have to let him flow in his rhythm so as long as he gets some luck he should be very competitive.' Pony Soprano has been the subject of a substantial betting move with the Robert Agnew -trained galloper shortening from $19 into $6.50 for the TAB Highway Class 2 Handicap (1100m). Roper kicks her day off on the country galloper and sees the son of Thronum as a great winning chance. Pony Soprano has won two of his five starts already and Roper has piloted the three-year-old in both of his lead-up trials. 'He is a lightly-raced galloper but he targeted those Country Championships races with him and it just showed how much of an opinion he had of him,' Roper said. 'His trials have been really good. He is two from two first-up so if he is going as well as we think he is, he should be very competitive in a Highway. 'I think he is a nice horse.' Roper is excited to reconnect with the Annabel and Rob Archibald -trained Don't Forget Jack ($6.50) after helping the gelding to a first-up victory at Hawkesbury. The son of Headwater was slowly away second-up when the pair combined and never feature but has since finished first and second at Rosehill Gardens. 'He missed the kick that day at Rosehill but seems to be jumping better,' Roper said. 'As long as he gets the start right from barrier one, that's probably the concern. 'But he seems to be very consistent this preparation and Annabel is doing a great job with him. 'He is getting better and better with every run.' It will be the first time Roper pilots John O'Shea and Tom Charlton' s Good Banter ($4.40 favourite). The daughter of Tavistock scored a drought-breaking success at the same venue last start over 2000m and steps over a mile and a half this weekend. 'Good Banter gets back up to the 2400m,' Roper said. 'I have never ridden the horse but the win was good last start so hopefully that adds a bit of confidence and she can go on with it.' Roper has 22½ metropolitan wins and only sits behind Braith Nock (40 wins) and Molly Bourke (24 wins) on the Sydney apprentices premiership. Stables have been making the most of Roper's 2kg claim in the winter months with the apprentice set to ride for seven different trainers on the weekend. She also rides Ringarosa (race 6), South Of India (race eight) and War Eternal (race 10). 'I have had terrific support in town from so many different stables,' Roper said. 'They have all been so consistent and I couldn't be more thankful for it. 'Obviously you have to keep showing up and doing the job when they put you on but it's great to have that sort of support and I am excited for Saturday and if everything goes to plan it will be a good day.'
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Godolphin sells 25 horses for more than $2m as public training move looms
Godolphin moved another step closer to entering its next phase as a public training entity from next season after selling close to $2.2m worth of ready-to-race horses on Wednesday. The racing and breeding powerhouse will enter a public training model from August 1 with nine stables, including Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher, announced as conditioners of some of their best and brightest stars. But not all of Godolphin's racing stock will continue to race in the Royal Blue with a wave of 25 horses sold on Inglis Digital this week. A string of stakes performed geldings headlined the sale with Group 1 placed stayer Lavalier topping the purchases for $380,000 to Sunshine Ptd Ltd. Lavalier was third in the Group 1 South Australian Derby in May before finishing fourth in the Group 1 Queensland Derby the following month. Group 3 winner Pisces, a last-start runner-up in the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic, was snapped up for $330,000. Australian Bloodstock went to $180,000 to snare Group 3 victor Spacewalk and $170,000 to secure stakes placed sprinter Pereille. Snack Bar ($155,000) goes to Darby Racing, Fleetwood ($150,000) heads north to Tony Gollan while Razors ($135,000) joins him in the Sunshine State following a deal with trainer Jack Bruce alongside Clarke Bloodstock and High Calibre Racing. Godolphin confirmed new homes for their leading spring contenders last week with All-Star Mile winner Tom Kitten joining Anthony and Sam Freedman. Exciting filly Tempted is now with Maher as well as Group 1 winning star Zardozi while lightly-raced colt Beiwacht moved to Waller. Joe Pride will have Golden Mile on his books with Bjorn Baker the new trainer of Pericles. It was revealed at the end of May that James Cummings Group 1-winning conditioner since announcing a move to Hong Kong.
The Australian
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Ciaron Maher smells more success with unbeaten filly Signature Scent after tough win at Caulfield
Signature Scent added 'a string to her bow' on Saturday with victory at Caulfield. The smart Ciaron Maher-trained filly, who led and dictated on debut at Bendigo, displayed a sharp turn of foot to reel in plucky leader Thanks Gorgeous in the 1100m 2YO Open Handicap. The Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) next month at Caulfield had been marked as the right race to come but stable representative Leigh Allen said Signature Scent could appreciate a bit more ground. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Signature Scent travelled nicely behind the speed for champion jockey Craig Williams but needed an out in the straight. 'She was caught in the coffin there and had to wait her time,' Allen said. 'Her last 100m was her best … she got into clear running and she knuckled down.' Signature Scent paid $1.75 for favourite backers made nervous as $81 outsider Thanks Gorgeous led until the last 75m. Teine Aulelei closed off nicely to run third from Shystar. 'I'd say we keep her at the same trip,' Allen said. 'We got the Quezette in a month, but we might see what else is around … maybe, something 1200m but at this stage probably the Quezette.' Williams summed up the race perfectly after Signature Scent stepped a shade slower than expected. 'I thought we'll be economical the first three quarters,' Williams said. 'She's adapted to a different running style, shows her diversity about how she could do things and also scope for distance range … most importantly she's a winner, a very talented filly.' Williams said Signature Scent had the attributes to become a spring player. 'Her physique, her mannerisms, she covers the ground really well, feels very robust, and today you saw a bit more of an option,' Williams said. 'If she leads she can break them in my opinion and today she was very relaxed off the speed. 'It gives them potential options going out longer, if they choose to.' Williams completed a running double for Maher to start the card with victory aboard Scampi. Gilbert Gardiner Sports reporter Gilbert Gardiner is a sports reporter for the Herald Sun and Sunday Herald Sun. @gilbertgardiner Gilbert Gardiner
