Trainer Ciaron Maher’s Southern Highlands base has played a major role in Hi Dubai returning from injury to win at Randwick

Hi Dubai relishes trainer Ciaron Maher’s Southern Highlands base as she returns to winning form with a gutsy effort at Randwick.

Hi Dubai fought back for a determined win at Randwick. Picture: Getty Images

Comeback mare Hi Dubai showed true grit to end a 596-day winning drought at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Hi Dubai won her first start as a three-year-old on December 9, 2022 when the daughter of Highland Reel had been trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, placing on a further three occasions.

She transferred to Ciaron Maher before this preparation as she continued to recover from a knee issue that required surgery and close to a year away from the races.

Maher’s Southern Highlands stable has played a crucial part on getting Hi Dubai back to her best as she delivered a hard earned win in the TAB Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m).

“She spends her time at Bong Bong, which is a great facility,” Maher’s assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said.

It's the @cmaherracing Hi Dubai doing enough to win at double figure odds in Race 5 at Randwick with @clarkyhk on board! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Ab9da3CHo2

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 27, 2024

“There is a track uphill there and horses like her are really benefiting from it.

“Hopefully she can keep going on but she did enjoy the conditions too so hopefully she can keep winning.”

Hi Dubai sat three-wide in the run with jockey Tim Clark quickly plotting a course to the outside fence as the field turned for home.

He paired off with Cosy Corner ($34) inside the final furlong with Hi Dubai ($15) showing plenty of fight to edge out Paul Perry’s challenger by a short neck with the John Thompson-trained Bundeena ($10) a further 2¼ lengths away.

“I thought she toughed it out really well,” Clark said.

“She was headed and fought back so it was a good effort from her.

“She had been building after a bit of time off and third up she peaked today to do the job well.”

Gerard-Dubord felt Hi Dubai was ready to peak third-up.

She only beat a handful of runners home at her first start for Maher at Hawkesbury before producing an improved showing when third in a midweek event at Warwick Farm earlier this month.

“She needed a run first-up and then other day at Warwick Farm she was unlucky but very good,” Gerard-Dubord said.

“She has come on from that and today we had a plan to try and find the outside fence. Tim did that very well.

“I thought she was very tough.

“It was a bit of a fight all the way down the straight but she got her head in front.”

Originally published as Trainer Ciaron Maher’s Southern Highlands base has played a major role in Hi Dubai returning from injury to win at Randwick