Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have some unfinished business to do before the Melbourne Cup Carnival winds up.
The pair was still in celebratory mode the afternoon following their Melbourne Cup success with Gold Trip at Flemington on Tuesday.
With that win ticked off, Maher and Eustace have a Group 1 chance with Zennzella in the Kennedy Oaks (2500m) at Flemington on Thursday and hold high hopes for Bella Nipotina in the Champions Sprint (1200m) on Saturday.
Zennzella won the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington last Saturday which has proven the best guide to Thursday’s Oaks.
Willowy completed the double last year as did Aristia (2018) and Miami Bound (2019).
“Zennzella seems to have thrived. The team are happy,” Mahar said.
“She’s a horse in really good form that is backing up and normally we wouldn’t do that for a race like that jumping up so much in distance.
“The Wakeful has a really good record in the Oaks. I haven’t used it in previous successes in the Oaks and she’s put on weight since her last run.
“I wouldn’t swap her for any other horse.”
Maher said Bella Nipotina had also thrived since her maiden Group 1 success in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley on October 22 and is looking forward to tackling Nature Strip and Giga Kick on Saturday.
“Bella’s in career best form,” Maher said.
“The age old saying, mares in form.
“She was very sassy when I was putting the saddle on her at Moonee Valley. She’s a fiery red-head and when she’s like that, she’s at her best.”
Maher and Eustace said their success in Tuesday’s Cup had still not sunk in, and it would not be for a couple of days until the Carnival was over that they would be able to sit back and reflect.
Both said the staff in their stables at Ballarat, Cranbourne, Fingal, Pakenham and Warwick Farm were all instrumental in not only getting Gold Trip to the race, but the other four horses as well.
“A race like the Melbourne Cup, you never think it’s a race within your grasp,” Maher said.
“Even if you do have live chances, like we did, it’s like the elephant in the room, you don’t talk about it.
“It’s unbelievable. I’ve always had big ambitions, but none bigger than the Cup.”
Eustace said post-race commitments combined with celebrations have meant he had not seen a replay of the Cup.
“I haven’t seen the horse run for the full two miles because we had so many in the race,” he said.
“The middle mile of the race, I didn’t watch him at all because I knew he was in a pretty good spot.
“I just waited until they got to the top of the straight to watch and cheer him home.”