Caulfield Cup 2023 LIVE updates: Winning jockey Mark Zahra cops whipping fine, ban after Without A Fight victory
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Gold Trip is preparing to back up into next week’s Cox Plate after his gallant third in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup, before pressing onto Flemington to defend his Melbourne Cup title.
Co-trainer Ciaron Maher says he was pleased with Gold Trip’s run on Saturday, which gave every indication he could win another Melbourne Cup.
Gold trip, number 1, placed third behind winning horse Without A Fight in the Caulfield Cup.Credit: Getty Images
“The Melbourne Cup is two miles, he’s already proven at the trip,” Maher said.
“He proved he could carry the weight as well. He was better at the two miles than he was at the mile and a half.“
Last year he ran second in the Caulfield Cup and raced seven days later in the Cox Plate, finishing an unlucky ninth. Maher said, all going well, they would line up at the Valley next week.
“He seems to pull up well, we’ll get him home and chill him out,” Maher said. “If he’s fit and well we’ll certainly look at next week.”
Asked whether there was any doubt Gold Trip was going to take his place in the Caulfield Cup, Maher said: “it’s a bit of theatre.”
“We were always going to do the right thing by the horse. We thought the club has done a fantastic job the way they present the track.
“It’s raced great all day, all the horses should pull up well. Hopefully, we see them all at Flemington.“
Ben Melham, who picked up the ride on Gold Trip on Saturday, described his run as terrific.
“He had a lovely run, he was just really made to carry that weight with the frantic speed, it never let up.” Melham said.
“I had the chances, 1-2 just in front of me and four or five kilos in the end was the finish, I sort of presented off the back of West Wind Blows, I made ground inside Zahra there, he’s come from behind me and beaten me so… the horse is going terrific moving forward, whether they go to the Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup, especially the Melbourne Cup the horse couldn’t be in any better order.”