Maher declares Gold Trip in better shape than last year
Trainer Ciaron Maher says defending Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip is ready to go and in better shape than last year, on the eve of the 3200m feature.
Gold Trip is a $7 chance to win the Melbourne Cup this year and become the first horse since Makybe Diva (2003, 2004 and 2005) to win successive cups.
Vauban, the $4.20 Willie Mullins-trained favourite, looms as Gold Trip’s biggest challenge, but Maher is confident that his horse hast he ability to win again after drawing barrier two.
Gold Trip is the shortest-priced out of the five runners Maher and co-trainer David Eustace will saddle up in the $8m Flemington group 1.
“He is (going better). He needs to be though, I think the race is stronger,” Maher said.
“The track’s probably going to be a little bit firmer and he’s got a little bit more weight. So he needs to be better to win, but I think he is.
“I’m more confident, way more confident.
“He hadn’t been to the two-mile last year and always sort of had that question given his breeding, but now he’s done it, and he’s had a very similar prep.”
Gold Trip will need to defy almost 50 years of history, as no horse has carried 58.5kg to victory in the Melbourne Cup since Think Big accomplished the feat with back-to-back wins in 1975.
Vauban, the long-time Melbourne Cup favourite, will carry 55kg and will be guided by star jockey Ryan Moore.
Gold Trip’s recent performances include a third-place finish in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) and a fifth-place finish in the Cox Plate (2040m), following a victory in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 7.
Maher firmly believes that Gold Trip is better prepared this year than he was during his victorious campaign last year, despite the increased weight and a likelihood of a firmer track.
Maher, who has been forced to employ James McDonald to ride Gold Trip after regular hoop Mark Zahra stayed opted to ride Without A Fight, remains focused on the task at hand and is not overly concerned about the competition.
“I’m not concerned about the favourite,” he said.
“I think it’s a stronger race than last year, so I think there’s a number of horses that are a great chance.
But it’s a horse race, I’m not concerned about them. The two Irish horses will be very hard to beat … they’ll make their presence felt, and they’re down in the weights as well.
“Without A Fight, Mark (Zahra) has stayed on it for a reason … he’s going to be a good chance as well.”
With five horses in the 24-horse field, Maher and Eustace’s stable holds the distinction of saddling up the most Melbourne Cup runners in 2023. Besides Gold Trip, they will also feature Right You Are, Ashrun, Future History, and Interpretation in the highly anticipated staying test.
Alongside Gold Trip, other prominent contenders for the Melbourne Cup include Without A Fight (barrier 16), Caulfield Cup winner, Soulcombe (barrier four), and Japanese raider Breakup (barrier 18).