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Sydney Morning Herald
24-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘We are looking to go 50-50': Ciaron Maher eyes bigger slice of Sydney riches
Ciaron Maher will aim to split his massive team more evenly across Victoria and NSW next season as he chases more wins in the rich Sydney racing scene. And he hopes the likes of Sacred Rocks and Hi Dubai, which race at Randwick on Saturday, can lead the early charge. Maher's stable last week became the first to win more than $60 million in prizemoney in a season and is closing out a third consecutive Australian trainers' premiership, with 322.5 winners before Thursday's meetings. Chris Waller was second on 270. The Victorian has built the amazing success largely on performances in his home state, but his reach in NSW is set to grow with the move of his Sydney stable from Warwick Farm to Leilani Lodge at Randwick. The larger stable, together with existing arms of his operation at Bong Bong Farm in the Southern Highland and Bobs Farm in the Hunter, are part of Maher's ambition to expand and increase his winning totals in NSW. 'There's about 20 extra stables, but we sort of alternate,' Maher said of the difference between his Warwick Farm stables and Leilani Lodge, which is still being renovated. 'We have up to 200 at Ballarat but that fluctuates, and all the other stables stay full. But we own that joint, so that's why we can do that. We haven't sort of changed for about two or three seasons now, so it's always just consolidate. 'We are looking to go 50-50. We are sort of 60-40 with Victoria at the moment, but 50-50 with Sydney has been the aim for a couple of years.' Maher has 84.5 winners in NSW, with 48 in town, this season. Those numbers are dwarfed by Waller's. The Rosehill trainer, who is upgrading his Flemington operation with a move into Godolphin's Carbine Lodge, has 182 and 140 wins respectively in NSW and metro will secure a 15th consecutive Sydney trainers' premiership. The expansion of Maher's operations, though, raises the question of whether he can one day challenge Waller's reign in Sydney.
The Age
24-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
‘We are looking to go 50-50': Ciaron Maher eyes bigger slice of Sydney riches
Ciaron Maher will aim to split his massive team more evenly across Victoria and NSW next season as he chases more wins in the rich Sydney racing scene. And he hopes the likes of Sacred Rocks and Hi Dubai, which race at Randwick on Saturday, can lead the early charge. Maher's stable last week became the first to win more than $60 million in prizemoney in a season and is closing out a third consecutive Australian trainers' premiership, with 322.5 winners before Thursday's meetings. Chris Waller was second on 270. The Victorian has built the amazing success largely on performances in his home state, but his reach in NSW is set to grow with the move of his Sydney stable from Warwick Farm to Leilani Lodge at Randwick. The larger stable, together with existing arms of his operation at Bong Bong Farm in the Southern Highland and Bobs Farm in the Hunter, are part of Maher's ambition to expand and increase his winning totals in NSW. 'There's about 20 extra stables, but we sort of alternate,' Maher said of the difference between his Warwick Farm stables and Leilani Lodge, which is still being renovated. 'We have up to 200 at Ballarat but that fluctuates, and all the other stables stay full. But we own that joint, so that's why we can do that. We haven't sort of changed for about two or three seasons now, so it's always just consolidate. 'We are looking to go 50-50. We are sort of 60-40 with Victoria at the moment, but 50-50 with Sydney has been the aim for a couple of years.' Maher has 84.5 winners in NSW, with 48 in town, this season. Those numbers are dwarfed by Waller's. The Rosehill trainer, who is upgrading his Flemington operation with a move into Godolphin's Carbine Lodge, has 182 and 140 wins respectively in NSW and metro will secure a 15th consecutive Sydney trainers' premiership. The expansion of Maher's operations, though, raises the question of whether he can one day challenge Waller's reign in Sydney.
Herald Sun
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Ray Thomas' Blackbook: Five to follow from Rosehill on June 14
Ray Thomas thinks an impressive winner could be a force in the fillies' classics in the spring, while Ron Dufficy thinks Saturday's racing unearthed a nice mare to follow in future races. Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Ray Thomas reveals his horses to follow from Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, while Sky Thoroughbred Central's Ron Dufficy names his highlights in his Rosehill snapshot. • 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! ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ FIVE TO FOLLOW CODETTA (race 5) was coming off a luckless first-up second and was confidently backed into $2.70 favouritism but nothing went right for her when third to the smart filly Winning Proposal. Codetta was trapped three-wide without cover for most of the race but still had the temerity to loom up halfway down the straight as a winning threat. She's racing well and her turn is coming. SACRED ROCKS (race 10) made a real statement at her Sydney debut. She had won two of her four starts in Victoria, finishing second in the other two, before trainer Ciaron Maher switched states. Sacred Rocks settled back in the field from a wide barrier, didn't have the smoothest of passages but her finishing acceleration was very impressive. She's talented and can keep winning. QUEEN OF CLUBS (race 1) is a promising filly and she defeated a smart field of two-year-olds in the opener. She's a well-bred daughter of Maurice and will certainly get out over further. She's likely to have a short break now but watch out for her in the fillies classics in spring. TASORAAY (race 4) set a solid tempo in front and this might have left him vulnerable late. He still fought back hard when challenged and his close second to Don't Forget Jack was full of merit. Tasoraay was only second-up from a spell and can win again this winter. ASSAILANT (race 9) has shaped promisingly in his two Australian starts including his third to Freight Train. The former English galloper got to 2000m quickly, led for a long way and stuck to his task under pressure. Assailant can only continue to improve and is ready to win. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ CRUNCH TIME WINNING PROPOSAL (race 5) ran the fastest final 600m sectional of the day when she recorded a 33.35s split to dive through under Overfull and score a deserved win. Winning Proposal also produced a brilliant 200m closing split of 11.12s. SACRED ROCKS (race 10) finished fast to win the closer, running her final 600m in 33.66s with a 11.08s closing sectional. MOTOSCAFO (race 3) might have only won a Midway but his effort should not be underestimated. He charged home his final 600m in 33.57s and ran the fastest 200m closing split of the day in 10.97s. QUEEN OF CLUBS (race 1) powered home her final 600m in 34.43s and a closing 200m split of 11.61s to score her first win in four starts. DON'T FORGET JACK (race 4) attacked the line strongly with a 34.08s final 600m to score well. He was able to run his 200m closing split of 11.53s. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ WHAT THEY SAID 'Can you book me for the horse in this race next year!' — Jockey Adam Hyeronimus after combining with Sir Lucan to win a second successive Winter Cup. 'We're very excited to win the Winter Cup again and the owners are flying over to London tonight. Monique and Adam (Annetts), they're jumping on a plane to go and see Storm Boy run next Saturday. If they were flying economy they will be flying first class now.' — Stable representative Neil Paine. 'It's all good – the pressure, that's what you live for.'' — Star apprentice Braith Nock after winning on favourite Mickey's Medal. 'She does things at home that are (special). She worked with Kilbrannan, who is a handy two-year-old (half-brother to Portelli's Golden Slipper winner Fireburn) and she went so well I said, 'she can't get beaten'.' — Trainer Gary Portelli after Queen Of Clubs' impressive win. — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025 'She is very progressive and has a great, big stride on her. At the 200m, I thought she was just going to get there but then at the 100m she really lengthened nicely.' — Andrew Calder, rider of Queen Of Clubs. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ STEWARDS SAY Sydney's form jockeys Dylan Gibbons and Adam Hyeronimus both incurred week-long careless riding suspensions due to start next Sunday. Gibbons was suspended from June 22 to June 29 after he was found guilty by stewards of causing interference on runner-up HALF YOURS (race 9). Hyeronimus was suspended for the same period after his winning ride on SIR LUCAN (race 8). HELL OF A FOX (race 2) drew the outside barrier and was shifted behind runners in the early stages. Near the 900m she was hampered and carried wider by RED RAGS TO BULLS, which shifted out when being steadied off heels. Jockey Brodie Loy said that after enduring a wide run, the filly was one paced to the finish line and raced as though it had come to the end of its preparation. CODETTA (race 5) was hampered and taken wider by KING'S SECRET approaching the 600m. On straightening, she was again inconvenienced by King's Secret, which shifted out. Apprentice Jace McMurray told stewards that Codetta was slow to begin and settled further back than intended. He said when then unable to obtain cover Codetta was obliged to race wide throughout the event. KING'S SECRET (race 5) jumped out of the barriers and was bumped by Slinky, which shifted in. King's Secret finished fifth and a post-race veterinary examination revealed the gelding had the thumps. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ RON DUFFICY'S RANDWICK SNAPSHOT RUN OF THE DAY SACRED ROCKS did a great job having her first Sydney run. She met a pretty slick field and you have to like the way she charged over the top of them late looking a nice mare for the future. FORGET THEY RAN CODETTA and HALF YOURS were both beaten favourites on the day but I wouldn't mark them down on their performances. They both had awkward draws not having much go their way and can make amends moving forward. HORSE TO FOLLOW Outside of those mentioned above I thought the debut performance of SCOOP THE POOL had merit. He's a two-year-old who has a pedigree to just keep improving especially over further than what he contested here. RIDE OF THE DAY Boom apprentice Braith Nock put on a show with a winning treble. His ride on SUPER NORWEST in the Highway was just picture perfect from a tricky draw. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ NSW RACING – THE WEEK AHEAD Monday: Albury, Tamworth Tuesday: Hawkesbury, Nowra Wednesday: Canterbury Park Thursday: Gosford, Bathurst Friday: Coffs Harbour Saturday: Royal Randwick, Kembla Grange Sunday: Murwillumbah, Wagga Wagga Originally published as Ray Thomas' Blackbook: Five to follow from Rosehill on Saturday Horse Racing The decision on who will take over the prestigious Leilani Lodge at Royal Randwick has been postponed, with the Australian Turf Club's board set to review a report later this week. Horse Racing Trainer Gary Portelli experienced racing's highs and lows within 24 hours, as Queen Of Clubs scored her first win a day Group 1-winning mare Kimochi suffered a career-ending injury.
