Minutes after Explosive Jack won Saturday's $2 million Sydney Cup, trainer Ciaron Maher was plotting a path for the five-year-old to run in the $8 million Melbourne Cup on November 7.
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Explosive Jack, ridden by apprentice jockey Dylan Gibbons, came from well back in the field to overtake rank outsider True Marvel and Knights Order to win the Group One two-mile classic.
The lightly-raced stayer is no stranger to the Melbourne Cup following an unplaced run in 2021 after sustaining a suspensory injury.
Maher gave credit to his stable staff following the Sydney Cup victory.
"We've always had a high opinion of Explosive Jack," Maher told The Standard.
"Explosive Jack was brilliant as a three-year-old winning the Australian Derby, South Australian Derby and the Tasmanian Derby.
"He had a few injury concerns after the 2021 Melbourne Cup but due to the hard work from our staff at various locations Explosive Jack has come back in great order.
Maher believed Saturday's run was an impressive win from the five-year-old.
"We decided to take the blinkers off him after his unplaced run in the Tancred Stakes and he dropped a lot of weigh after that run for the Sydney Cup," he said.
"Explosive Jack had to be rated a light-weight chance as he got conditions that suited his racing pattern."
Maher said Explosive Jack's two runs prior to the Tancred at Sandown and Canberra were encouraging.
"We've got a few options open to Explosive Jack going forward and one of those may be to give him a short break and prepare him for the Melbourne Cup in November," the trainer said.
Maher praised the ride of Gibbons, in what was the jockey's first Group One win.
"It was a very good ride by Dylan," he said. "Dylan never panicked at any stage.
"He just stayed focused on the work that was required for Explosive Jack to win."
Saturday's Sydney Cup victory is the second for Maher and his training partner David Eustace. They won the 2020 Sydney Cup with Etah James.
The powerful training combination also had success with Gringotts in a $150,000 three-year-old race at Sandown.
Maher believed the lightly raced galloper has a good future, with Saturday's victory Gringotts third from five starts.
"Gringotts hasn't put a foot wrong," he said. "We'll just take him quietly through his grades. I think he'll win a nice race in the future."
Gringotts has won more than $175,000 in prize money for his connections from his five starts.
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