Ciaron Maher is a young trainer on the rise, but the next week offers him the chance to join elite company by completing victories in the four pillars of the Flemington carnival.
Of the present-day trainers, only Lee Freedman and David Hayes have achieved the winning set of a Victoria Derby, Melbourne Cup, VRC Oaks and Cantala Stakes, and it usually takes years of work and finding the right horses.
Maher is halfway there thanks to Tears I Cry, his first group 1 winner in the Cantala of 2007, and Set Square and Jameka, the past two Oaks winners. He lines up with a live hope in Saturday's Derby in Beach Life, while Caulfield Cup winner Jameka is pressing for favouritism in the Melbourne Cup.
But Maher was taking it in his stride at the Melbourne Cup carnival launch on Monday.
"It was great to win one of the big races here to get going early in my career [with Tears I Cry] because this carnival is one you dream of," Maher said. "The Oaks wins have been great and to be in the position to have a really good hope in a Melbourne Cup is outstanding.
"I don't try to get too carried away about things and the races we are targeting, because you just have to feel like you're treating them the same because you need to get things to go right to win any race.
"I'm just trying to get our horses spot-on for the big ones, rather than thinking about winning them. If they are right then you have done all you can."
Maher is gaining a reputation of timing his preparation to the minute and has targeted the Melbourne Cup with Jameka. He believes she has improved since her three-length success in the Caulfield Cup, a final major stop on the way to the first Tuesday in November.
"She's come through the Caulfield Cup in great style. She might even have improved a bit. She gives every indication to me that she will run the two miles," Maher said. "She's an exceptional athlete."
Jameka will attempt to become the 12th horse to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double with the addition of a 1.5 kilogram penalty for her Caulfield win and Ladbrokes mark her a $7 second pick behind Hartnell at $4.60.
"She has just had her usual program since the Caulfield Cup. We don't work her that hard we just let the races bring her on," Maher said.
"She will have another nice hit-out later in the week and be ready to go on Tuesday."
Before that Beach Life will attempt to give him his first Victoria Derby at Flemington on Saturday. The son of Hinchinbrook won a Mornington maiden in September but came into Derby reckoning after finding the line late in the Caulfield Classic, where he ran fourth.
"He has been terrific every start and has improved again into the Derby," Maher said. "He is a big strong trainable horse and looks like running the trip.
"I think the extra trip is in his favour and it would be nice to have Derby to go with the Oaks."
Beach Life is a $15 chance for the Derby, where Saturday's Vase winner Scared Elixir is the $3.40 favourite at Ladbrokes.
The change to the Flemington carnival means the Cantala has moved to Saturday, swapping position with the Emirates Mackinnon Stakes creating a different feel to the opening day.
Maher is hoping to pull off another win with Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Bon Aurum, which he wasn't as happy with before his sixth in the Toorak Stakes.
"He is going better than when he was going into the Toorak. We just changed his work around a little bit and that seems to have worked with him and made him happier," Mahar said. "I don't think the mile will be a problem and you are going to see a different horse on Saturday."
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