Ciaron Maher scored one of the most emotional wins of his career on Derby Day, but it would be taken to a new level if he can win Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup with one member of his stable in particular.
The champion trainer has four runners in the Melbourne Cup 2024, including Interpretation, who was part-owned by Colin McKenna.
McKenna, who has been a lifelong family friend of Maher and his biggest backer as an owner, died last weekend from a brain tumour.
Another Wil carried McKenna’s colours to victory in Saturday’s Group 2 The Damien Oliver, while Interpretation’s colours have been tweaked with his cap to now resemble the blue and green hoops that formed part of McKenna’s colours.
“The Melbourne Cup, it’s the race we all grow up dreaming about and it’s been a tough week, but Col certainly loved that race as well,” Maher said.
“He’s got a share in Interpretation, so I’m sure he’ll be riding him home.”
Interpretation will be striving to become the first horse since Empire Rose in 1988 to win the Melbourne Cup after being beaten in two earlier editions, having finished last and sixth the past two years.
Teo Nugent was aboard last year, when he ran sixth off a Bendigo Cup win, and ran second in the Geelong Cup on October 23 and Maher think’s the seven-year-old son of Galileo is in better shape this year.
“I think he’s better, I think his runs would suggest that,” Maher said.
“Teo has only had a few rides in the race and he’s finished fourth, third and sixth for us.
“He knows what he’s doing, he knows this horse and he’s arguably one of our best chances.”
Interpretation is a $19 chance, the second highest-rated in Maher’s runners, behind last-start Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) winner Okita Soushi ($13).
“He’s a horse that’s just hitting his straps at the right time, his two mile-and-a-half runs were great and to have a barrier (10) is super,” Maher said of the son of Galileo who has the services of Jamie Kah, who partnered Another Wil to victory on Saturday.
“He hadn’t won for a while, so that will give him a bit of confidence and two miles is right up his alley.”
Maher’s longshot is $34 chance Circle Of Fire, who headed Melbourne Cup odds after his Sydney Cup (3200m) win, and the champion trainer concedes he ‘needs to find a bit of form’ but expects Moonee Valley Cup fifth placegetter Saint George to outrun his $23 price tag.
“He’s a bit of a sleeper that horse, he didn’t quite get a crack at them at The Valley, his prep hasn’t gone as smoothly as other horses but he certainly has the ability.
“If you look at his form at Europe, it’s pretty sold.”
Saint George, who will start from barrier nine, has the services of Tyler Schiller, while Mark Zahra – the man who has won the past two Melbourne Cups – will ride Circle Of Fire from the outside gate.