Ciaron Maher passes $50m prizemoney mark with winners at Warwick Farm and Sandown on Wednesday

Just weeks after Chris Waller became the first trainer to break the $50 million prizemoney barrier, Ciaron Maher has also achieved the incredible feat.

Ciaron Maher has earned $50 million for the season. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Champion trainer Ciaron Maher smashed the magical $50 million prizemoney barrier for the season when Elsie May won at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

Maher started the day with stable earnings of $49,893,680 and early wins with Linwood at Warwick Farm and Fabrice at Sandown put the trainer within reach of the milestone.

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Then jockey Chad Schofield found the shortest way home near the rail on Elsie May to win the TAB Handicap (2130m) to take the Maher stable over the $50 million mark.

Elsie May relishes stepping out to 2100m under @SchofieldChad and gets the nose down in the nick of time 📸

That's a race-to-race double for @cmaherracing ✅✅ pic.twitter.com/EYL4MGTSQ1

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 10, 2024

This caps an extraordinary season for Maher with the trainer on track to retain his Melbourne, Victorian and Australian premierships for most wins.

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He also prepared 10 Group 1 winners this season including Pride Of Jenni’s three majors culminating with her spectacular Queen Elizabeth Stakes triumph at Royal Randwick during The Championships, plus Bella Nipotina’s two wins in the Doomben 10,000 and Tatt’s Tiara to close out the season.

Maher becomes only the second trainer in Australian racing history to prepare the winners of at least $50 million prizemoney in a season.

Ocean Park gelding, Fabrice, scores stylishly on debut for @cmaherracing 👌 pic.twitter.com/lhFIvGTzrc

— Racing.com (@Racing) July 10, 2024

Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller achieved the feat less than two weeks ago when Cigar Flick won at Eagle Farm.

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

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

Originally published as Ciaron Maher passes $50m prizemoney mark with winners at Warwick Farm and Sandown on Wednesday