Ciaron Maher considers wfa for Dubious

dubious
Two-year-old Dubious is in line to take on older horses in the weight-for-age Kingsford Smith Cup.

Doomben Cup-winning trainer Ciaron Maher is considering “rolling the dice” and running two-year-old Dubious against older horses in the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.

Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, had a big day at Doomben on Saturday winning the Group One Doomben Cup with Kenedna and the Group Two Roses with Etana.

Dubious won the Group Two Champagne Classic two weeks ago at his first winter carnival start.

An obvious path for the two-year-old would be the Group Two BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

But Maher said after Etana’s win, the weight-for-age Kingsford Smith which headlines the meeting was not out of the question.

“He galloped (Saturday) at the Gold Coast between races. We might roll the dice and run at weight for age,” Maher said.

Dubious would carry 48kg if he ran in the Kingsford Smith and Maher has indicated Nikita Beriman will ride.

The Kingsford Smith Cup was formerly the BTC Cup and run earlier in the carnival at Doomben but is now a Group One race over 1300m at Eagle Farm.

No two-year-old has run in the BTC Cup or Kingsford Smith Cup which has in effect taken the Doomben 10,000’s place in the winter carnival.

Several top juveniles have run in the 10,000 over the years including 1965 Golden Slipper winner Reisling.

Dubious has won three of his six starts and ran second in the Magic Millions in January.

Maher is enjoying another successful winter after first coming north five years ago.

“I love it here. I have won a Queensland Derby (Ruthven) and a Stradbroke (Srikandi) at Doomben and a Tatt’s Tiara (Srikandi) at the Gold Coast. Now I have won a Doomben Cup,” Maher said.

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