Ciaron Maher Targets Ambitious Two-State Group Race Success

Ciaron​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Maher is getting ready for a hard day of work on Saturday as his team is going to have the horses running in not one but two of the most luxurious features on the Australian racing calendar, the $1.5 million Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth and the $750 000 Zipping Classic at Caulfield. The distance between these two places is about 3400km, but the stable is in a state to become the talk of both ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌locations.

Ciaron Maher’s Winterbottom Stakes representative is Benedetta, a mare who joined his yard after a strong period with Jason Warren. She claimed eight wins for her previous trainer, including the Group 1 Goodwood, and arrived with expectations that she could add further top-level results. Her two runs for Ciaron Maher have not delivered a placing, yet her most recent effort was encouraging. She finished fifth, only 2.95 lengths behind the resurgent Giga Kick, producing what her team viewed as a necessary tune-up for the challenge in Perth.

The daughter of Hellbent now heads into Saturday’s sprint with better conditioning and a clearer path to finding her top rhythm. Daniel Stackhouse will guide her, and she is currently marked at $18. Ciaron Maher will already know whether his hopes of a rare two-state feature success remain alive by the time Benedetta steps out, with the Winterbottom scheduled to run roughly two and a half hours after the Zipping Classic.

The Caulfield feature is where Ciaron Maher holds both depth and quality, with five runners carrying his stable’s colours. Among them, Light Infantry Man stands out. The seven-year-old chestnut arrives off a pair of stern Group 1 tests in the Cox Plate and the Champion Stakes, contests taken by Via Sistina. With that star absent from the Zipping Classic lineup, Light Infantry Man finds a more suitable stage.

Assessed as the second pick in early markets, he sits behind the Grahame Begg-trained She’s A Hustler. Light Infantry Man’s work in both Group 1 contests was regarded as genuine, and the Zipping Classic distance profile allows him to turn those efforts into a serious challenge. Ciaron Maher’s camp has been pleased with his soundness and attitude during preparation, raising hopes that he can deliver a strong showing.

Joining him is Smokin’ Romans, a seasoned competitor who produced several commendable runs over staying distances across his career. His most recent appearance came in the Melbourne Cup, an Australian races that often leaves its participants with the test of regrouping quickly. Ciaron Maher has kept him ticking over, and his experience at this level remains an advantage.

Interpretation adds further depth. His fifth in the Bendigo Cup suggested he is building again after mixed fortunes earlier in the season. Known for honest staying efforts, he appears suited to the conditions and should appreciate a steady tempo.

Strawberry Rock brings veteran status to the group. The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ horse has been dependable on his own accord throughout several racing seasons, and although he is usually not in the spotlight, his capacity to keep up his pace in the final stages has earned him a handful of close runs in races of the same level. Trainer Ciaron Maher has been referring to him most times as a steady performer, and that characteristic may, therefore, be instrumental once more at ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Caulfield.

Completing​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the count of five is Berkshire Breeze, the silver guy who was the fourth placer in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup on his last outing. That performance saw him near the leaders, indicating he is getting fit at the perfect ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌time. His staying pattern fits the Zipping Classic requirements, and he has shown he can position himself handily without using up too much early energy.

The Zipping Classic provides Ciaron Maher with multiple chances, and the structure of the field supports the possibility of a strong collective impact. With several of his runners holding genuine claims, the stable could see its strategy of placing horses in tailored spots pay off.

Saturday’s program presents Ciaron Maher with a rare opportunity: success in two major events at opposite ends of the country. While results in horse racing always rely on Australian races tempo, conditions and execution, Ciaron Maher’s group enters the weekend with a mix of proven talent and promising preparation. Should Light Infantry Man or any of the Caulfield runners deliver in the early afternoon, attention will shift to Benedetta, who carries the chance of completing a standout two-state achievement for the stable.

The day ahead is shaped by possibilities, and Ciaron Maher’s extensive team will be ready to judge each result as things happen.