COOL CUSTOMER CIARON MAHER UNFAZED BY THE HYPE AROUND HIS BOILING HOT FAVOURITE COOLANGATTA

By Graham Potter | Tuesday, January 11, 2022

They don’t come more laid-back than trainer Ciaron Maher.

Even if, deep down, he does have some butterflies in the stomach this week about saddling the dominant $1.85 favourite Coolangatta in Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic, there is certainly no evidence of it … just the usual calmness exuding the ‘what will be, will be’ philosophy which has served him so well to date.

Of course, it helps that he has been there before.

In 2019, the Maher and Eustace training partnership had to settle for second place behind Exhilarates in the Classic before going one better with Away Game in the 2020 edition of the event. It that sense, it is a case of … been there, done that!

Having said that though, Away Game was a different ballgame to the present scenario as she started at very long odds whereas the Maher / Eustace trained Coolangatta is so far at the top of the betting boards that the odd-makers seem to be suggesting he is already out of sight as far as his rivals are concerned.

Certainly, there is daylight between Coolangatta and the rest in the market with only one other runner quoted in single figures.

When quizzed on any suggestion, judging by the odds and the much of the general conversation, that that Coolangatta seems unbeatable, Maher response was typical, “Yeah, well I’m not going to say that. You are not going to get that out of me.”

Maher’s next comment though, hardly gave Coolangatta’s rivals any cause for comfort.

“Her work was very good this morning,” said Maher, talking to Sky Racing. ‘J Mac gave her three ticks and she seems in a really good spot.

“The barrier draw was perfect. Very happy. I think there are three emergencies drawn inside her. If they come out, we’ll come out of ten. I was sort of looking for something around about the middle … so it’s ideal.

“She’ll basically just tick over for the rest of the week. She’ll do a few trots and canters and maybe go up to the beach and have a little a wade in the water. She doesn’t need to do much … just freshen up now.

“You know horses. It is not until you have got them there on the day that you are happy, but she is certainly in good order at the moment.”

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