Horse Racing News: Maher Dominates Travis Harrison Cup Nominations with Potential Cups Contenders
Trainer Ciaron Maher has a strong presence in the upcoming Travis Harrison Cup at Moonee Valley, with more than half the runners in the race. Among his entries are several horses with sights set on the prestigious Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup later in the spring.
Smokin’ Romans, Interpretation, and Duke De Sessa are all nominated for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in October. Additionally, Too Close The Sun, Normandy Bridge, and Wyclif will also compete in the Travis Harrison Cup’s 2040m contest this Saturday.
“He’s just getting into the swing of things,” Maher said. “He’s had a couple of runs and hasn’t troubled them too much, but he’s a blinker horse and a genuine two-miler, as we saw last year.”
Nominations for both the Caulfield Cup and the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley closed on Tuesday, while entries for the Melbourne Cup are not due until early September. Maher is expected to have Smokin’ Romans, Interpretation, and Duke De Sessa among the Melbourne Cup entrants.
The trainer is using the winter months to help Smokin’ Romans regain his confidence, much like he did last year when the gelding went on to win the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington early in the spring. That campaign led to Smokin’ Romans starting as the favorite in the Caulfield Cup, where he finished seventh, before also running seventh in the Melbourne Cup.
Maher has reintroduced blinkers to Smokin’ Romans’ race day gear, and jockey Jaylah Kennedy, who rode the horse to a second-place finish at Flemington on July 20, will be aboard again on Saturday.
The trainer is employing a similar strategy with Interpretation, who finished sixth in last year’s Melbourne Cup behind Without A Fight. Interpretation has had two runs since then, with Maher aiming to build the horse’s fitness as he targets a third Melbourne Cup appearance.
With Maher’s strong contingent in the Travis Harrison Cup, horse racing enthusiasts will be keeping a close eye on the performance of these potential Cups contenders as the spring carnival draws closer.
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