‘We are looking to go 50-50’: Ciaron Maher eyes bigger slice of Sydney riches

Ciaron Maher will aim to split his massive team more evenly across Victoria and NSW next season as he chases more wins in the rich Sydney racing scene.

And he hopes the likes of Sacred Rocks and Hi Dubai, which race at Randwick on Saturday, can lead the early charge.

Ciaron Maher and jockey Declan Bates celebrate Pride Of Jenni’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes win at Randwick in 2024.Credit: Getty

Maher’s stable last week became the first to win more than $60 million in prizemoney in a season and is closing out a third consecutive Australian trainers’ premiership, with 322.5 winners before Thursday’s meetings. Chris Waller was second on 270.

The Victorian has built the amazing success largely on performances in his home state, but his reach in NSW is set to grow with the move of his Sydney stable from Warwick Farm to Leilani Lodge at Randwick. The larger stable, together with existing arms of his operation at Bong Bong Farm in the Southern Highland and Bobs Farm in the Hunter, are part of Maher’s ambition to expand and increase his winning totals in NSW.

“There’s about 20 extra stables, but we sort of alternate,” Maher said of the difference between his Warwick Farm stables and Leilani Lodge, which is still being renovated.

“We have up to 200 at Ballarat but that fluctuates, and all the other stables stay full. But we own that joint, so that’s why we can do that. We haven’t sort of changed for about two or three seasons now, so it’s always just consolidate.

“We are looking to go 50-50. We are sort of 60-40 with Victoria at the moment, but 50-50 with Sydney has been the aim for a couple of years.”

Maher has 84.5 winners in NSW, with 48 in town, this season. Those numbers are dwarfed by Waller’s. The Rosehill trainer, who is upgrading his Flemington operation with a move into Godolphin’s Carbine Lodge, has 182 and 140 wins respectively in NSW and metro will secure a 15th consecutive Sydney trainers’ premiership.

The expansion of Maher’s operations, though, raises the question of whether he can one day challenge Waller’s reign in Sydney.

“Chris runs a pretty slick operation, and it’s not something you sort of worry about or can control, a premiership,” Maher said. “It’s more making sure your staff are engaged, the culture is right and you are getting those one-percenters, which in turn lead to winners.

“When you are running business like Chris’ and ours, that sort of thing [premiership] takes care of itself.”

Heading into the final Saturday of the season, Maher is looking to Hi Dubai and Sacred Rocks to push their claims for a shot at early season stakes races.

Sacred Rocks was a $2.35 Sportsbet favourite in the seventh, a 1300m benchmark 78 handicap, after a first then second in similar races at Rosehill. The four-year-old mare started the campaign with victory at Sale and has finished top-two in all six career starts.

The two-kilogram claim of apprentice Anna Roper means Sacred Rocks carries a kilogram less than her most recent start, but she again has a wide draw.

“I’m rapt with that horse,” Maher said. “It’s drawn awkward again, but I think it should get through its grades a little bit more. It wouldn’t surprise me if it got a bit of black-type at some stage. We might try to pinch something early in the spring, while it’s got a bit of fitness.”

Lugh ($13), with Tommy Berry aboard from gate seven, is also in the race. He was fourth at Randwick last start when first-up.

“This off-season type of race is where it’s at and with the right run, it will be thereabouts,” Maher said.

He has also used the claim of Roper with Hi Dubai, a $9.50 chance in the eighth, a benchmark 88 handicap over 1100m. The five-year-old was a last-start winner at Rosehill.

“It did a good job to win the other day,” he said. “It was under siege and it’s got a bit of determination that horse. It has a crack. She would be one you would try to pinch a bit of black type with as well.”

His other runners are Nana’s Wish ($9) and Piggyback ($7) in the sixth, a benchmark 78 for fillies and mares over 1800m.

“Nana’s Wish is in at Doomben as well and either race would suit. It’s drawn well in both,” he said. “She’s going well, and she’s very honest and thrives off a bit of moisture. Piggyback has been a little bit unlucky. I think the trip is ideal and she’s never far away.”

Maher, meanwhile, said Everest-bound Jimmysstar, based at Bobs Farm, was set to trial next week. He said Light Infantry Man, Another Wil and Gringotts, which all trialled at Gosford on Wednesday, could resume in the group 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 23.