Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have four horses entered for this Saturday’s Ballarat Cup, but they will monitor the likely quality of the field before settling on their number of starters.
The 2000-metre event will be run in December for the first time and Maher is sensing an opportunity for some members of his stable who might not otherwise get the chance to target a $500,000 race.
Three of Maher’s Cup nominations – Convener, Herman Hesse and Wyclif – are also entered in the $130,000 benchmark 84 event over 2000m on the same card .
“The horses that are in the 2000 (metres) BM84 they’ll be in the Cup as well, because it might be a winnable race for something, the Ballarat Cup,” he said.
Detonator Jack is Maher’s other Ballarat Cup entry, but the last-start winner of the $1 million The Gong (1600m) remains in Sydney, where he will contest the $2 million The Ingham this Saturday.
Detonator Jack is the equal highest-rated horse in the Ballarat Cup entries, alongside Young Werther, with SA Derby winner Dunkel, Saturday’s Eclipse Stakes winner Just Folk and the in-form Ain’tnodeeldun others among the 27 nominations.
Maher said Herman Hesse was a probable starter in the Ballarat Cup, but he would find the 2000m too short, with Convener his likely best winning hope.
The Almanzor five-year-old could have blinkers reapplied, which he hasn’t worn since his brilliant win over 2000m at Mornington in April.
“When he won, I had blinkers on then, and I had blinkers on when he flashed home first-up (last preparation),” Maher said.
“He might be blinkers back on. He’s a bit of a finnicky fella, but I think he’s going pretty good.”
The Ballarat Cup meeting could also signal the return of Veecee, one-time favourite for this year’s Blue Diamond Stakes, whose only start as a three-year-old has been a last placing in the Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield back on August 19.
“If it’s not wet (he could run), he hates the wet,” Maher said.
The son of Capitalist is one of five Maher/Eustace entries in the $175,000 Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic over 1100m, accompanied by stablemates A Little Deep, Baroque Road, Cavallo Rampante and Dark Halo.
