Ciaron Maher

Australian trainer Ciaron Maher will be hoping to have unearthed the latest Group 1 scorer to go Down Under from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale after spending 490,000gns on two highly-rated runners through the stable's head of bloodstock Will Bourne and bloodstock agent Billy Jackson-Stops.  That opening session outlay was headed by German St Leger third Go Daddy (Ire) (Smooth Daddy) at 350,000gns. Maher also struck earlier in the session for Jareth (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), a wide-margin winner of a Thurles maiden on just his second start for trainer...

Eighty of the 123 horses nominated for this year's G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup were bred in Europe. Only 18 of that group are still in training in either Britain, Ireland or France. Aidan O'Brien, who has not had a runner in the race since 2020, when Tiger Moth (Ire) finished runner-up to Twilight Payment (Ire), trained by his son Joseph, has six entered, led by the G2 Queen's Vase winner Illinois (Ire). Meanwhile his fellow Irishman Willie Mullins is planning to send back last year's favourite, the recent G2 Lonsdale...

David Eustace, who started his training career in partnership with Ciaron Maher in Australia, is set to move to Hong Kong where he will train under a solo licence.  In a statement released on Thursday, Eustace said, "I am delighted to announce that I will be joining the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the 2024/25 season. I look forward to working with CMR [Ciaron Maher Racing] until the end of January, after which my attention will turn to Hong Kong and the season approaching." The 32-year-old became co-trainer with Maher...

The action revolved around Coolmore's 17-strong draft on day one of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale where the Aidan O'Brien-trained Carracci (Quality Road) was sold to continue his career in Saudi Arabia for 320,000gns Carracci boasted one of the most attractive profiles on offer at Tattersalls on Monday and the market agreed. Placed in a Group 3 earlier this season, Carracci was last seen finishing a respectable fourth in a listed contest at Dundalk in September.  He boasts a rating of 101 and was described by Aidan 'Mouse' O'Ryan as...

New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), the 40-1 runner-up behind Native Trail (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the 2022 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, will be gelded and will ultimately continue his career under the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in Australia after being acquired by Jamie Lovett's Australian Bloodstock following a lengthy courtship. Trained in England by Sheila Lavery for her brother John, the £65,000 Tattersalls Goresbridge breezer won his maiden at first asking in June 2021, his lone victory to date, but he has run with credit...

G3 Chester Vase S. winner and G1SP Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) has been purchased by trainer Ciaron Maher and owner Ozzie Kheir and will race Down Under, Racing.com reported on Tuesday. The 4-year-old, who was fifth in the G1 Epsom Derby and fourth in the G1 St Leger at three, will enter quarantine in September and is a potential G1 Cox Plate starter. Resuming in March, the former Coolmore partners' runner was second in the Listed Devoy S. at Naas, second again in the Listed Wolferton S. at Royal...

In this new series we sit down with a selection of Europeans making a significant impression in the Thoroughbred industry on foreign shores. Today we have Annabel Neasham. Position: Assistant trainer to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. We are based in Melbourne and Sydney and I currently run the Sydney operation, which is based at Warwick Farm. Original Hometown: Croughton, Northamptonshire, UK. Current Hometown: Sydney, Australia. Things you miss most about the UK: Other than a good old- fashioned village pub, I miss open spaces to train horses. It's no...