Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher in a race to become the first trainer to surpass $50m in season earnings

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller is leading the race to become the first trainer to surpass $50 million in season prizemoney but Ciaron Maher is hot on his heels.

Leading trainers Chris Waller (left) and Ciaron Maher are on the verge of surpassing $50m in prizemoney for the season.

Chris Waller is set to become the first trainer to prepare the winners of $50 million prizemoney in a season.

The Hall of Fame trainer’s runners have already banked $49.79 million prizemoney for 2023-24 and he has a huge stable representation across four meetings in three states on Saturday.

But Ciaron Maher is also having a hugely successful season and has some chance of pipping Waller at the post for the honour of being the first trainer to break the $50 million prizemoney barrier.

Maher has prepared the winners of $48.64 million already and also has multiple runners at five venues on Saturday.

✨ C'est Magique makes it a magical day for @mcacajamez, winning the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm for @cwallerracing!@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/g9w96K3tcX

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 15, 2024

What is certain is that Waller’s all-time stable earnings season record of $49,813,478 set is 2021-22 will be broken and both trainers will smash the $50 million prizemoney barrier.

The prizemoney race could be decided by the outcome of the final Group 1 of the season, the $700,000 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm.

Waller has three starters in the feature fillies and mares race – second favourite C’est Magique ($6.50), Roots ($19) and Vienna Princess ($34).

C’est Magique goes to the Tiara after an impressive last start win in the Dane Ripper Stakes.

Waller’s two previous Tiara winners, Invincibella (2019) and Red Tracer (2013) also won the Dane Ripper in their final lead-up run.

Waller is chasing his 13th Group 1 win of the season with his Tiara trio and has retained the nation’s leading Group 1 trainer title he has held since 2012-13. Maher is next with nine Group 1 wins.

Maher is also following a proven path with his Tiara hopefuls, favourite Bella Nipotina ($2.70) and Semana ($12).

Both mares come out of the Stradbroke Handicap where Bella Nipotina ran a close second to Stefi Magnetica while stablemate Semana ran 10th.

Maher has won the Tiara previously with Srikandi (2015) who was backing up after winning the Stradbroke Handicap.

The race between the champion trainers to break the $50 million prizemoney barrier is reminiscent of a similar struggle 40 years ago between training legends Bart Cummings and Tommy Smith to be the first to prepare the winners of $1 million in a season.

✨ C'est Magique makes it a magical day for @mcacajamez, winning the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm for @cwallerracing!@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/g9w96K3tcX

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 15, 2024

In a remarkable day, Cummings passed the milestone when Hello Honey ran second at Warwick Farm but less than two hours later Smith also broke the $1 million mark when Igloo won the 1974 Brisbane Cup.

But what Waller and Maher have been able to achieve this season is a measure of their stable’s sustained excellence and the prizemoney explosion in Australian racing.

There was nearly 100 races with prizemoney of at least $1 million this season including the world’s richest race on turf, the $20 million The Everest followed by the $10 million Golden Eagle and $8 million Melbourne Cup.

Waller or Maher didn’t train the winners of the nation’s three richest races but have still had record-breaking returns on the racetrack.

Maher needs to win the Tiara plus have a monster day at Caulfield and Rosehill to have any chance of beating Waller to the $50 million prizemoney barrier.

But Waller is only about $210,000 short of the magical number and with $82,500 first prizemoney in most of the Rosehill races, he could create history on his home track on Saturday.

Waller has 26 entries across eight races on the Rosehill program including Waterford, Bold Mac, Foniska and Lord Ardmore in the Listed $200,000 WJ McKell Cup (2000m).

Bonny Ezra, Speycaster, Gan Teorainn and Kureder give Waller a strong presence in the $160,000 Stayer’s Cup (2400m).

✨ C'est Magique makes it a magical day for @mcacajamez, winning the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes at Eagle Farm for @cwallerracing!@BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/g9w96K3tcX

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 15, 2024

Waller also has five starters in the Racing For Good On July 13 Handicap (1400m) including promising Pure Alpha, the $4.20 favourite.

The Waller stable has eight runners in six races at Eagle Farm, four entries in three races at Caulfield and seven starters in three Newcastle races.

Maher has 10 entries in seven races at Rosehill including promising Naval Commission in the Stayer’s Cup, along with five Eagle Farm starters in four races. He also has entries at Newcastle and Gold Coast.

At Caulfield, Maher has 16 runners in 10 races including Chorlton Lane, the $2.25 favourite for the Sportsbet Race Replays Handicap (1440m).

Waller might get to $50 million first but Maher is still in the hunt to end 2023-24 as the nation’s leading prizemoney trainer with the result likely to go down to the wire when the season ends on July 31.

Both trainers are set to defend their metropolitan premierships with Waller already securing a 14th consecutive Sydney title with 134 wins so far this season and a clear leader over nearest rival, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable on 83.5 wins.

Maher needs only three more wins to bring up a century of Melbourne wins this season and will win another Melbourne premiership as he has a big lead over nearest rivals, the Hayes stable on 62 wins.

With just over a month until the 2023-24 season ends, Maher is set to make a successful defence of the national premiership as he has already trained 307 winners on all tracks and is a clear leader over Waller on 271 wins.

RACING’S $50 MILLION MEN - CHRIS WALLER AND CIARON MAHER

2023-24 season

(As of Friday, June 28)

Prizemoney

Waller $49.79 million

Maher $48.64 million

Most Group 1 Wins

Waller 12

Maher 9

Most Wins (all tracks)

Maher 307

Waller 271

Originally published as Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher in a race to become the first trainer to surpass $50m in season earnings