{"id":5250,"date":"2020-12-14T14:57:40","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T04:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theracingsharks.com.au\/?post_type=news&p=5250"},"modified":"2020-12-14T14:58:40","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T04:58:40","slug":"sir-dragonet-targets-rich-sydney-race","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/theracingsharks.com.au\/news\/sir-dragonet-targets-rich-sydney-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Sir Dragonet targets rich Sydney race"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ciaron Maher is planning on his Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet becoming the pre-eminent weight-for-age performer in the country at a middle distance.<\/p>\n
Maher said the style of Sir Dragonet’s Cox Plate win at what was the former Irish galloper’s Australian debut suggested it was an attainable goal.<\/p>\n
“That was a star-studded Cox Plate field and he put them away quite easily,” Maher said.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know if he’s got any more improvement but if we can keep him at that level that’s going to make him hard to beat in weight-for-age races over 2000 metres.”<\/p>\n
The former Aidan O’Brien-trained galloper, who was purchased by clients of Maher and co-trainer David Eustace, flew home to win the Cox Plate, running away from the well-credentialed raider Armory to win by 1-1\/4 lengths.<\/p>\n
With the Cox Plate win firmly in Maher’s thoughts, he will target Australia’s four richest 2000 metre weight-for-age races next year.<\/p>\n
In the autumn, Maher and Eustace will initially set Sir Dragonet for the $1.5 million Australian Cup at Flemington on March 6 and the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 10.<\/p>\n
Maher said Melbourne’s weather and the firmness of the tracks would dictate whether Sir Dragonet ran in the Australian Cup.<\/p>\n
“I think the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, with the cut usually out of the ground, will suit him perfectly,” Maher said.<\/p>