Master trainer Ciaron Maher etched his name in racing history on Saturday, becoming the first trainer to win both the Caulfield Cup and The Everest on the same day in Melbourne and Sydney respectively. This remarkable feat was achieved thanks to the outstanding performances of his underrated stayer Duke De Sessa in the $5 million Caulfield Cup (2400m) and champion mare Bella Nipotina who secured victory in the $20 million The Everest at Randwick.
Duke De Sessa winning the 2024 Caulfield Cup. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos | Horseracing.com.au
Jockey Harry Coffey celebrated his birthday in style, piloting Duke De Sessa ($11) to a dominant victory in the 2024 Caulfield Cup results.
This win marked a significant improvement for the six-year-old Lope De Vega gelding, who finished ninth in the race last year behind Without A Fight.
Coffey displayed exceptional tactical awareness, leading the race from the outset and maintaining a strong pace throughout.
This victory holds special significance for Maher, as it marks his second Caulfield Cup win. Eight years ago, his mare Jameka delivered him his first Cup triumph.
While the Chris Waller-trained Buckaroo, ridden by Joao Moreira, emerged as the pre-race favourite, Duke De Sessa defied the Caulfield Cup odds and ran out of his skin in a daring performance by both horse and hoop.
Coffey’s bold tactics paid off, as Duke De Sessa built a significant lead and held off a late charge from Buckaroo to clinch victory by 1.5 lengths.
Another Waller-trained Group 1 winner, Land Legend, fresh off his Sydney The Metropolitan victory finished third, rounding out the podium positions in this year’s Caulfield Cup results.
Jack Turnbull, a stable representative for Maher, spoke about the momentous occasion. He described the win as “a pinch me moment” and lauded Coffey’s masterful ride.
“Oh, it’s magic to be honest. Yeah, just fantastic to get on the phone with him (Ciaron), especially after Bella,” stable representative Jack Turnbull told Racing.com.
“A just pinch me moment sort of stuff. Stable are having an extremely good day.
“Very good ride by Harry. Everyone’ s so thankful for Harry, and really appreciative for him to win.
“Everyone knows how well-deserved he is. It’s just amazing.”
This victory adds another chapter to Maher’s impressive training career and solidifies his position as one of Australia’s top trainers.
While Duke De Sessa is not nominated for the 2024 Melbourne Cup over the two miles at Flemington on November 5, there is surely more big races in store for this progressive galloper.
2024 Caulfield Cup Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Harry Coffey | 5 | 52kg | $11 | |||
| 2 | 2 | BUCKAROO (GB) | Chris Waller | Joao Moreira | 1.25L | 7 | 54.5kg | $3.80F | ||
| 3 | 8 | LAND LEGEND (FR) | Chris Waller | Zac Purton | 6.25L | 1 | 53kg | 1.0kg | $8.50 | |
| 4 | 13 | ZARDOZI | James Cummings | Andrea Atzeni | 8.5L | 9 | 51kg | $6.50 | ||
| 5 | 15 | DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Craig Newitt | 9.5L | 14 | 50.5kg | $20 | ||
| 6 | 19e | FANCY MAN (IRE) | Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | Ron Stewart | 9.65L | 3 | 50kg | $61 | ||
| 7 | 7 | ELIYASS (FR) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 10.4L | 18 | 53kg | $6.50 | ||
| 8 | 6 | WARMONGER (NZ) | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Michael Dee | 12.15L | 13 | 53.5kg | $18 | ||
| 9 | 16 | VALIANT KING (GB) | Chris Waller | Teo Nugent | 13.15L | 15 | 50.5kg | $71 | ||
| 10 | 3 | CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) | Ciaron Maher | John Allen | 13.9L | 10 | 54.5kg | $26 | ||
| 11 | 5 | HUETOR (FR) | Peter Snowden | Luke Currie | 14.1L | 6 | 54kg | $81 | ||
| 12 | 9 | YOUNG WERTHER (NZ) | Danny O’Brien | Jye McNeil | 14.5L | 8 | 52.5kg | $26 | ||
| 13 | 4 | WARP SPEED (JPN) | Noboru Takagi | Akira Sugawara | 16.25L | 16 | 54.5kg | $26 | ||
| 14 | 11 | KNIGHT’S CHOICE | John Symons & Sheila Laxon | Robbie Dolan | 16.45L | 11 | 51.5kg | $201 | ||
| 15 | 14 | COCO SUN | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Karis Teetan | 19.7L | 17 | 50.5kg | $41 | ||
| 16 | 18 | SAYEDATY SADATY (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ben Thompson | 25.2L | 2 | 50kg | $14 | ||
| 17 | 1 | KALAPOUR (IRE) | Kris Lees | Ben Melham | 27.7L | 4 | 55kg | $81 | ||
| 18 | 20e | BERKSHIRE BREEZE (IRE) | Ciaron Maher | Ms Carleen Hefel | 28.2L | 12 | 50kg | $41 | ||
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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