Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher prizemoney title chase goes down to wire at Warwick Farm

There’s a lot on the line for a Wednesday midweek meeting at Warwick Farm, with the final race day of the 2023-24 season to decide whether Chris Waller or Ciaron Maher tops the prizemoney list.

Leading trainers Chris Waller (left) and Ciaron Maher. Pictures: File

Chris Waller needs a brace to raise the bat for 150 Sydney winners as he tries to stave off a surging Ciaron Maher stable to retain the trainer’s prizemoney title for a record 12th consecutive season.

There’s a lot on the line for a Wednesday midweek meeting at Warwick Farm, the final race day of the 2023-24 season, with Waller and Maher represented by multiple runners.

Waller goes to Warwick Farm on 148 wins having already secured his 14th successive Sydney trainers premiership.

If the Hall of Fame trainer can prepare two or more winners, it will take him over the 150-win mark for an unprecedented ninth season and also go a long way to securing leading prizemoney trainer.

Waller has prepared the winners of 291 races nationwide for total stable earnings of $51,610,300 so far this season and can add to both tallies on Wednesday with 11 runners across five races at Warwick Farm including favourites in three races, stablemates Ceremonious and Wipeout in the opener, Lyrical Gangster (race 5) and Influential (race 6). The trainer also six starters (in five races) at Doomben.

The Group 1 leaderboard for the 2023/24 season!

No surprises at the top ⭐@[e-mail]/vFyw2NJg8w

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 27, 2024

• Waller, Maher race to historic milestone

But Maher has also had a phenomenal season, retaining the national premiership with 342 winners for stable earnings of $51,453,130.

Maher is still a chance to win the prizemoney title with stable representation in five races at Ballarat on Tuesday before a big final day of the season with a starter in four races at Warwick Farm. They include boom two-year-old Qatar’s Choice, as well as six runners in five races at Sandown and dual acceptor Lamentum at Doomben.

The “stakes race” between the Waller and Maher stables has been an enthralling season-long struggle with the champion trainers striving initially to be the first to break the $50 million barrier.

Waller got there in late June but only a couple of weeks later Maher passed the milestone and has continued to creep closer in the prizemoney premiership.

Your inaugural @7HorseRacing medal winner is Ciaron Maher! 🏅@cmaherracingpic.twitter.com/t9dpjIRC5L

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) July 27, 2024

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Champion jockey James McDonald’s treble at Royal Randwick last Saturday took him to 89 wins for the season and ensured a sixth consecutive Sydney premiership.

McDonald, who has five rides at Warwick Farm, leads nearest rival Nash Rawiller by eight wins.

There are eight races on the Warwick Farm program but Rawiller has only three rides, which means McDonald becomes only the third jockey to win six Sydney premierships in succession.

Hall of Famer Ron Quinton won six titles in a row between 1978-79 to 1983-84 and the legendary George Moore won a record eight successive premierships from 1961-62 to 1968-69.

Ashley Morgan (137.5 wins) has edged past the injured Aaron Bullock (137 wins) and will claim the NSW jockeys premiership while the national rider’s title will go to Perth-based Willie Pike (172.5 wins).

Originally published as Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher prizemoney title chase goes down to wire at Warwick Farm