Australia: Maher trains winners in The Everest & Caulfield Cup

Ciaron Maher had a big day over the course of just one hour Saturday in Australia, winning two Group 1 races worth a combined US$16.7 million with first-prize money of more than US$7 million.

From the outside post, Bella Nipotina surprisingly took an early lead, conceded it in the turn and then reclaimed it late, winning by a short head for Maher in the eighth running of The Everest, a six-furlong sprint in Sydney that, at US$13.4 million, is the richest turf race in the world.

An hour later, 6-year-old gelding Duke De Sessa won for Maher in the US$3.3 million Caulfield Cup (G1) in suburban Melbourne.

Bella Nipotina (5-1 in the U.S. pool), a 7-year-old mare bred and co-owned by Australia football fixture Michael Christian, broke alertly in The Everest under jockey Craig Williams. Despite being forced to travel wide, she held a narrow advantage through the first quarter-mile.

“She can sort of sometimes not step so well, but sometimes she can get a flyer,” Maher told Sky Racing World. “We decided if we got a flyer, let’s go.”

Bella Nipotina (5-1 in the U.S. pool) then was passed on the inside by Storm Boy (10-1) and Growing Empire (5-1). Williams said he could not afford to be worried about losing the lead.

“I just had to trust her,” he said. “The plan was to trust her. The dream was to get across (inside to lead) at the start.”

Coming out of the right turn in third place, Bella Nipotina accelerated as she was fanned wide down the quarter-mile homestretch in the drizzle at Royal Randwick in Sydney. Giga Kick (14-1), the 2022 Everest winner, split horses to the inside, getting a nose in front with a furlong to go. Bella Nipotina dug in to retake the lead in the last 120 yards and maintained the narrow advantage through the finish line.

“The fear all week was that she would be caught three wide, no cover, and she was,” Christian said. “And she was still good enough. I don’t know what to say. She is just a freak.”

Giga Kick finished second, 1 1/4 lengths better than third-place Growing Empire. Lady Of Camelot (34-1) rallied but missed the board by a short head, taking fourth. Post-time favorite Joliestar (5-2) came in seventh in the field of 11 horses ages 3 and up including five males and six females.

The winning time was 1:08.76 without a run-up for the 1,200 meters, about eight yards short of six furlongs. The early fractions were 23.87 and 46.09 seconds. The course was rated soft-5, which translates to yielding in North America.

“She been doing on firm tracks what she used to do on tracks with give in it,” Maher said. “She got her surface today.”

In U.S. win-place-show betting, Bella Nipotina returned $13.70, $6.80 and $4.50; Giga Kick $10.40 and $8.80; and Growing Empire $5.60.

By Pride Of Dubai out of Star Witness mare Bella Orfana, Bella Nipotina added a US$4.7 million first prize Saturday to push her career earnings to US$10.9 million for Christian and his partners. Her race record is 56: 11-13-12.

Patterned after the original conditions of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in America, The Everest requires owners to pay US$500,000 into the purse for one of the slots in the race.

Duke De Sessa races to victory in Caulfield Cup

After leading early and stalking the pace up the backstretch, Ireland-bred Duke De Sessa (9-1) made a decisive move in the final turn and raced away in the homestretch to a 1 1/4-length triumph in the 147th Caulfield Cup, a left-handed, 1 1/2-mile turf handicap that drew 18 horses.

The son of Lope De Vega had gone winless in 13 starts since he was moved from Ireland trainer Dermot Weld two years ago to race in Australia.

Duke De Sessa held a one-length lead the first time past the grandstand at Caulfield. Ridden by Harry Coffey, who overcame cystic fibrosis as a child, he then let Deny Knowledge (10-1) set the pace through the middle turn on the backstretch, lurking close behind the whole time.

In the final left-hand turn on the tri-oval course, Duke De Sessa and Land Legend (7-1) collared Deny Knowledge. Duke De Sessa would extend his advantage to four lengths, but he still had work to do in the 350-yard homestretch.

Deep-closing betting favorite Buckaroo (2-1) ate away at the gap in the final furlong, but it was too late to change the outcome. He settled for second, five lengths ahead of third-place Land Legend. Zardozi (9-2) finished 2 1/4 more lengths up the track in fourth.

The winning time was 2:31.42 without a run-up for the 2,400 meters, 15 yards less than 1 1/2 miles. The course was rated soft-6, roughly equivalent to yielding in U.S. terms.

Duke De Sessa, who is out of Cape Cross mare Dark Crusader, was bred and is co-owned by Ireland native and New York construction magnate Maurice Regan. He paid $21.80, $11.60 and $7.80 in U.S. win-place-show pools. Buckaroo returned $5.20 and $3.80. Land Legend paid $6.20 to show.

A two-time Group 3 winner in Ireland, Duke De Sessa came off a nine-month break in August. He then finished second in a 1 1/4-mile handicap at Caulfield before coming in fourth in both the 1 1/8-mile Underwood (G1) last month over the same course and the 1 1/4-mile Turnbull (G1) two weeks ago at Flemington.

Adding the US$2 million for winning Saturday, Duke De Sessa ran his career earnings to nearly US$2.4 million from a record of 24: 5-2-5.

Including the 2016 triumph by Jameka, this was Maher’s second victory in the Caulfield Cup, the first of the three biggest Group 1 races of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. The Cox Plate next Saturday and the Melbourne Cup three days later are the others.

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